Jan. 31, 2003
Miami, Fla. –
Box Score – Illinois State
Box Score – Georgia
The University of Kentucky softball team opened the 2003 season in Miami, Fla., Friday, at the Fun & Sun Classic, hosted by Florida International University. The Cats fell in two back-to-back games – the first to Illinois State, 8-1, and the second to No. 17 Georgia, 5-0.
The Cats and Bulldogs stayed even until Georgia got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the third. A walk, a sacrifice bunt, a single and a stolen base put Bulldogs on second and third with one out. Katie Lewis singled both runners home and advanced to second on the throw home. After advancing on a passed ball, Lewis scored on a dribbler to third by Ashley Godfrey.The Bulldogs added two more in the fourth and led 5-0.
Georgia’s pitcher Michelle Green was too tough for Kentucky, as she struck out a Georgia single-game record 12 batters on her way to a three-hitter.
In the first game, freshman Amy Kendall made her first career collegiate start pitching for the Cats. In the Redbirds’ half of the first inning, they used five hits and a Kentucky error to score runs and jump out to the quick lead. Nikki Jones led off the bottom of the first with an infield single, but that was the only hit for the Cats until the fourth inning. ISU added another run in the top of the second and took a 6-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Kentucky got the first two batters on base when Rachel Friberg singled and Lyndsey Angus walked. Friberg moved to third on a fielder’s choice by Ingrid Lochelt and scored UK’s only run on a single by Amy Kendall. But Kendall’s hit was the last of the game for Kentucky as they fell in the season opener, 8-1.
The Cats will face host Florida International at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and will play a seeded game at either 4 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.
Game 1 R H EIllinois State 5 1 0 0 0 0 2 8 8 8Kentucky 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 3
Game 2 R H EKentucky 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1#17 Georgia 0 0 3 2 0 0 X 5 4 0
