April 18, 1998
LEXINGTON, Ky.— Despite a 6-for-7 day at the plate from freshman Leslie Kwiatkowski, the University of Kentucky softball team dropped a pair of games to SEC rival Florida at the UK Softball Stadium on Saturday.
Florida (38-15, 17-3 SEC) started the day on the right foot, scoring five runs in the first inning of Game 1 en route to a 9-1 win. The Gators added a run in the third and three in the fifth for a 9-0 advantage. However, Kwiatkowski responded for the Wildcats after blasting a solo home run, the first of her career, off the scoreboard in right field to pull UK to within 9-1. Kentucky could not push another run across, though, as the SEC East-leading Gators claimed the victory.
In Game 2, Florida used a five-run seventh to pull past the Wildcats, taking home a 10-2 victory. Florida jumped ahead early, and had a 5-0 lead after four and a half innings. Kentucky responded in the bottom of the fifth to get within three. Crystal Grace reached on an error and moved to third on a Sarah Snider ground out. Michelle Bucci then singled to center field, scoring Grace to get the ‘Cats on the score board. Kwiatkowski, who was 4-for-4 in the game, singled to move Bucci to second before Stephanie Thompson walked to load the bases.
Tiffany Kruse then singled to bring Bucci home, cutting the Florida lead to 5-2 and chasing UF started Renise Landry from the game. Reliever Chelsey Sakizzie then struck out Jacki Haynes to end the inning and the UK scoring threat.
UK continues action on Tuesday, as the Wildcats travel to Evansville to take on the Aces in a non-conference doubleheader.