April 15, 2000

STARKVILLE, Miss. – The University of Kentucky softball team dropped adoubleheader to 20th-ranked Mississippi State on Saturday at the MSU SoftballField. The Bulldogs captured the opener, 6-2, and won the second game, 7-3.

MSU (36-16, 13-7 Southeastern Conference) took a 1-0 lead in the firstinning when catcher Keri McCallum scored from third on an error by UK thirdbaseman Andrea Eilertson.

The Bulldogs put two more runners across in the third when centerfielder Kellie Wilkerson stole home and Michelle Gates scored from third as UKcatcher Lyndsey Angus attempted to throw out a runner at second.

UK (26-22, 8-8) got on the board in the sixth inning on back-to-backdoubles by Leslie Kwiatkowski and Tiffany Kruse. Kwiatkowski double overWilkerson’s head, scoring Beth Fogle from second. Then Kruse doubled to leftcenter, scoring Kwiatkowski from second as the Cats cut the Bulldogs lead to,4-2.

McCallum capped the MSU scoring with a two-run blast to center off UKstarter Keary Camunas in the sixth, giving the Bulldogs a 6-2 victory.

MSU pitcher Jennifer Pursell improved to 23-10 with the win, whileCamunas, who struck out six batters, dropped to 15-11. Nikki Jones and Kruserecorded two hits apiece for the Cats.

In the second game, Jones scored from second when Fogle reached on athrowing error by MSU third baseman Michelle Gates.

The Bulldogs hammered UK starting pitcher Morgan Marr for three runs onfour hits in the bottom of the first. The assault continued in the bottom ofthe second when the Bulldogs lit up the scoreboard for three runs on five hits,giving MSU a 6-1 lead after two innings.

In the third inning, Fogle scored for the Cats when Kruse grounded outto first base. In the sixth, Jamie Dardis’ RBI-single scored Angie Dal Pozzo>from third.

Courtney Frank earned the win for MSU, improving to 5-4. Marrdropped to5-6 on the season.

UK returns to action on Thursday, April 20, when the Cats play host tothe Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at the UK Softball Complex. The doubleheaderwill begin at 6 p.m.

                        R H EUK      0 0 0 0 0 2 0   2 7 2MSU     1 0 2 0 1 2 x   6 7 2

WP Pursell (23-10) and McCallum, LP Camunas (15-11) and Angus. 2B KeriMcCallum (MSU), Leslie Kwiatkowski (UK), Tiffany Kruse (UK). HR McCallum (MSU)

R H EUK 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 6 3MSU 3 3 0 0 0 1 x 7 10 3

WP Frank (5-4), Whitehead and McCallum, LP Marr (5-6), Howland and Angus. 2BHehnke (MSU). 3B Gates (MSU).Records UK (26-22, 8-8 SEC), MSU (36-16, 13-7).