April 22, 1999

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky softball team will travel to Gainesville, Fla., this weekend to take on the Florida Gators in a four-game series.

Friday’s doubleheader will begin at 6 p.m. while Saturday’s doubleheaderis set for a 1 p.m. start.

Sophomores Leslie Kwiatkowski and Tiffany Kruse continue to lead UK thisseason and are first and second in the SEC in hits with 66 and 65,respectively. Kwaitkowski leads the Wildcats in hitting (.388), runs (36),home runs (6), RBI (37), total bases (98), and slugging percentage. Kruseis hitting at a .377 clip and has scored 31 runs with 30 RBI. She alsoleads UK in triples with five.

UK hurler Keary Camunas will see extensive action for the Wildcats thisweekend. The junior is 12-15 this season with 127 strikeouts.

Florida (24-25, 3-13) enters the weekend series having lost eight of itslast nine SEC games and last in the SEC Eastern Division. Alabama andAuburn each took two from the Gators on April 16 and 18.

Sophomore Ashley Boone is Florida’s biggest threat at the plate. Boone isbatting a team-high .340 with 51 hits and 33 RBI. She also leads theGators in doubles (13), home runs (5), total bases (79), and sluggingpercentage (.527).

As a team, Florida is hitting .264 compared to UK’s average of .268.

Junior Beth Dieter is the top Gator pitcher. Dieter is 13-17 this seasonwith an earned run average of 2.62. She has pitched 181.2 innings and 22complete games this season.

Florida has a team ERA of 3.01 while opponents are hitting .271 off Gatorpitching. UK owns a team ERA of 3.19 and opponents are hitting .283 offthe Wildcats.

All-time, UK is winless in eight games against Florida. The Gatorsoutscored the Cats 26-4 in the four-game series last year in Lexington, Ky.