Cats split Sunday’s doubleheader with Gamecocks.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 9, 2000) — The University of Kentucky softball team staged anexciting comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning in the secondgame of a doubleheader against 18th-ranked South Carolina Sundayafternoon to capture a 6-5 victory and earn a split in the four-game serieswith the Lady Gamecocks. UK fell to USC in the first game, 4-1.
Andrea Eilertson’s one-out single to left field, scoring Tiffany Kruse fromsecond base, capped the UK comeback after the Cats blew a 3-0 lead inthe top of the sixth inning.
UK (25-19, 7-5 Southeastern Conference) took a 3-0 lead in the thirdinning aided by two USC errors and a two-run double by Kruse.
However, the Cats ran into trouble in the sixth inning. With UK clinging toa 4-2 lead, USC second baseman Kim Schultze hit a two-out, two-runshot over the left field fence off UK reliever Keary Camunas to give theLady Gamecocks a 4-3 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, the Cats loadedthe bases with nobody out but came up empty-handed as USC relieverMegan Matthews pitched out of the jam.
USC added an insurance-run in the seventh when Megan Donohoo scoredon a throwing error by UK shortstop Angie Dal Pozzo.
Down 5-3, with one out, Lyndsey Angus doubled to left center and LeslieKwiatkowski followed with a single to center, scoring Angus from second. Kruse reached on anerror by USC second baseman Schultze with Kwiatkowski advancing to third. Dal Pozzo stepped tothe plate and singled to center, scoring Kwiatkowski to tie the game, 5-5. With Kruse on secondand Dal Pozzo on first, Eilertson hit a ball just past USC shortstop Kendra McCutcheon thatsquirted into left field as Kruse scored, giving the Cats a 5-4 victory.
The win was UK’s school record seventh SEC victory this season. The last two seasons, the Catsrecorded just six conference wins.
The Cats pounded out 12 hits in the game, 10 off Matthews who dropped to 18-12 with the loss.Keary Camunas earned the win for UK, improving to 14-10 this season. UK freshman starter MorganMarr struck out a career seven batters in five innings of work.
Angus, Kwiatkowski, Kruse, Dal Pozzo, and Eilertson had two hits apiece for the Cats. Kruse hither team-leading 11th and 12th doubles of the season.
In the opener, USC jumped on the Cats early when right fielder Joyce McMillin hit her seventh homerun of the season, a two-run shot off Camunas to left field to give the Lady Gamecocks a 2-0 lead.USC added another run in the third when McMillin scored on a throwing error by Kwiatkowski.
In the fifth, UK second baseman Nikki Jones scored from third when USC catcher AdrienneGenovese attempted to throw Angus out at first on a bunt attempt. Genovese was charged with anerror on the play.
USC (29-17, 10-9) went on to a 4-1 victory as Matthews earned her 18th win of the season, whilestriking out seven UK batters.
“Our comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning really showed me a lot about the heart of ourteam,” UK coach Beth Kirchner said. “We should continue to draw confidence from this weekendthat we can play with a top-20 team.”
UK returns to action on Friday, April 14, when the Cats travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on the OleMiss Rebels in a doubleheader, beginning at 6 p.m. (EST).
R H EUSC 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 6 3UK 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 5 2WP - Matthews (18-11) and GenoveseLP - Camunas (13-10) and Angus2B - Genovese (USC)HR - McMillin (USC). R H EUSC 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 5 8 5UK 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 6 12 2WP - Marr, Camunas (14-10) and AngusLP - McMillin, Matthews (18-12) and Genovese.2B - Donohoo (USC), Hall 2 (USC), Troesh (USC), Angus (UK), Kruse 2 (UK)HR - Schultze (USC).Records - USC (29-17, 10-9 SEC); UK (25-19, 7-5 SEC).
