April 29, 2001
In its final home game of the season the University of Kentucky softball team scored an exciting 7-6 come-from-behind victory over the visiting Auburn Tigers Sunday afternoon at the UK Softball Complex. Sophomore Nikki Jones blooped a two-out single just over Auburn shortstop Martha Phillips to score junior Beth Fogle from second base with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning. With the win UK takes the weekend series 2-1.
Both teams are battling for a berth in the eight-team Southeastern Conference tournament, and this crucial third game of the series was back and forth from the outset.
Kentucky drew first blood when freshman Rachel Friberg singled to right field with two outs in the second inning, scoring senior Tiffany Kruse from second base.
The visiting Tigers tied the score in the top of the third inning on junior Ashley Moore’s home run over the fence in right field. The round-tripper was Moore’s second homer in two days.
UK re-took the lead in the home-half of the third inning when Fogle slapped the first of her four singles on the day to left field. The Bogart, Ga. native promptly stole second, moved to third on Jones’ one-out bunt single, and scored on catcher Lyndsey Angus’ sacrifice fly to center field, giving the Cats a 2-1 lead.
Auburn came back to tie the score in the top of the fourth inning on the strength of three consecutive two-out singles.
After reaching base on a fielder’s choice Jones scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Angus doubled.
The Tigers took their first lead of the day 4-3, by scoring twice in the top of the sixth. Designated player Deni Zeigler led off with a double to left-center field, prompting UK coach Beth Kirchner to replace starting pitcher Jen Howland with Monique Lovell. AU’s Phillips singled back up the middle, moving Zeigler to third base. One out later, left-fielder Rasheedah Hameed singled to score both Zeigler and Phillips. Auburn tallied two more runs in the top of the seventh inning on two singles and a walk.
Down 6-3 going into their last at-bat, the Wildcats rallied. Fogle led off with an infield single. Senior Leslie Kwiatkowski followed with a single to left field, and Jones singled back up the middle to load the bases with no outs. Auburn’s Mary Petrie then moved from first base to pitch for the Tigers, relieving starter Lily DuBois, who picked up the win in game one of the series. UK’s Angus bounced to the shortstop Phillips, who threw wildly to second base attempting to force out Jones. Both Fogle and Kwiatkowski scored on the error, cutting the deficit to 6-5. Jones and Angus then moved up on a double steal, with Jones scoring the tying run one out later as Kruse grounded out to second base.
The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth but could not push the go-ahead run across the plate.
Fogle singled to left with one out in the bottom of the extra frame and moved to second as Auburn second baseman Jen Hammock misplayed Kwiatkowsi’s ball, setting up Jones’ game-winning heroics. “This was a huge win for us,” UK coach Beth Kirchner said. “Not only for conference standings, but because we showed a lot of fight when the game was going back and forth and continued to fight until the end. I was really proud of our effort.”
Sophomore Morgan Marr picked up the win in relief for the Wildcats, going to 16-14 on the season. The Cats (26-30, 9-16 SEC) travel to Fayetteville, Ark., for a three-game series with the Lady Razorbacks beginning Saturday, May 5.
AGATE
R H EAuburn 001 102 20 6 15 3Kentucky 011 010 31 7 12 0
WP- Marr (16-14) and Angus, LP- Petrie (1-2) and Martin, 2B- Zeigler,Angus, HR- Moore, SH- Kraemer, Kruse, Eilertson, SF- Angus, SB- Jones,Angus, Fogle.Records- UK (26-30, 9-16 SEC), AU (28-28, 9-18 SEC)
