Feb. 17, 2002
SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
Sandi Dengler reached on a fielder’s choice and Texas catcher Marlo Hanks could not handle to throw from the first baseman as senior Andy Eilertson touched home with the game-winning run, propelling to Kentucky to a 2-1, eight inning victory over Texas in the final game of the Fast Pitch College Express Classic.
Eilertson was placed on second in the bottom of the eighth as the international tiebreaker rule was used after the seventh inning. Sophomore Rachel Friberg led off the inning with a bunt single, moving Eilertson over to third. After UT recorded an out, designated player Jennifer Howland drew a walk, loading the bases. Dengler then sent the ball towards first base where UT’s Alexis Garcia made a play on the ball, but the throw home crossed up Hanks, allowing Eilertson to come home safely.
UK had opened the game by scoring an unearned run in the first to take the quick 1-0 lead. Freshman centerfielder Brook Bowman led off the bottom of the first with a walk and then advanced to third on a two-out single down the right field line by junior shortstop Angie Dal Pozzo. Bowman then scored as the Wildcats started the delayed double steal. Dal Pozzo swiped second the UT catcher committed a throwing error, allowing Bowman to come home.
Texas got one back in the top of the fourth and had a chance to get more, but freshman pitcher Meghan Cooper struck out first baseman Alexis Garcia with the bases loaded. Lindsey Gardner started the inning with a single to center and moved to second on a sacrifice and to third on a fly out to right. A Deanna Williams RBI single, which scored Gardner, was followed by a Wynter Turner single to put runners at first and second. Marlo Hanks then hit into a fielder’s choice, but Dal Pozzo bobbled the ball at short, allowing Turner to reach second safely. That is when Cooper took care of Garcia to preserve the 1-1 tie.
Cooper (2-2) pitched a 8.0 innings, allowing just one run on six hits for her second win of the tournament. UT’s hurler Natalie King had stifled the UK hitters, allowing just three hits and striking out 12.
In the UK’s first game, No. 17 Southwest Texas’ Jennie Tomme hit a two-run home run in the top of the third to open up the scoring and the Bobcats went on to light up the scoreboard four more times as SWT downed Kentucky, 6-1, during Sunday’s first game. SWT had two three-run innings, ringing up three in both the third and sixth innings.
Senior Andy Eilertson provided the lone run of the game for the Wildcats, stroking the ball over the fence in centerfield in the bottom of the seventh with one out. Eilertson finished the game 2-for-3. Her homer was her first since the 2000 season.
Junior pitcher Morgan Marr threw 5.1 innings, striking out four but giving up all six Bobcat runs on nine hits. With the loss, Marr dropped to 1-4 on the young season. Her counterpart, Nicole Neuerburg pitched a very solid game, throwing 7.0 innings, sitting five down via the ‘K.’
The Wildcats finished the tournament 3-3 and now stand at 5-6 overall. UK will return to the field on Friday, Feb. 22, at the Tennessee-Chattanooga Choo-Choo Tournament.
Game OneSouthwest Texas 6, Kentucky 1Southwest Texas0030030-6 10 0Kentucky0000001-1 5 3WP: Neuerburg (3-3). LP: Marr (1-4). S: none.
Game TwoKentucky 2, Texas 1 (8)Texas00010000-1 6 4Kentucky10000001-2 3 1WP: Cooper (2-2). LP: King (0-2). S: none.
-UK-
