March 21, 1998

The University of Kentucky softball team fell victim to a hot-hitting Alabama team, as the Wildcats dropped their first two Southeastern Conference games of the 1998 season at the UK Softball Stadium on Saturday. In the first game, Alabama pounded out 11 hits to claim a 12-1 victory. The Crimson Tide notched two runs in the top of the first, but the Wildcats responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning to pull to within 2-1. But Alabama posted four more runs in the second to race out to a 6-1 advantage. After the Tide added a seventh run in the third, the UK defense held Alabama in check. But Alabama showed their explosiveness once again, registering five runs on six hits in the seventh to push the final margin to 12-1.

In game two UK jumped ahead early for a 1-0 lead. Susan Moore doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on a Sarah Snider sacrifice. Michelle Bucci then followed with a single to score Moore and give UK a 1-0 advantage. But Alabama scored two runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before exploding for 10 runs in the seventh for a 16-1 win. Moore finished the game 2-for-3 with a double and a triple. The Wildcats return to action on Sunday, as UK continues SEC play against the Auburn Tigers. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. at the UK Softball Stadium, with the second game scheduled for approximately 3 p.m.