Feb. 15, 2003
Missouri Box Score
Penn State Box Score
The University of Kentucky softball team won twice on day 2 of the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif. The Wildcats (4-5) defeated Penn State, 2-1, and Missouri, 4-1. They will face host Stanford in the championship game Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Against Penn State, the Wildcats were able to strike first with a run in the fourth inning. Jessica Nance reached on an error and proceeded to steal second. Lyndsey Angus then hit a line drive down the left field line scoring Nance and giving the Cats the 1-0 lead.
The Nittany Lions answered in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on first and second with two out, Penn State’s Mandy Nuxoll singled to left center, scoring Kelley Galigher and knotting the score at one.
On the first pitch of the top of the seventh inning, Angus waited on a Marisa Hanson change up and drove it over the left field fence for her first home run of the season. Penn State threatened in the bottom of the inning, putting runners on first and third with two outs. UK pitcher Amy Kendall was able to get Nuxoll to ground out to third base, ending the game and giving the Cats the 2-1 win.
With the win, Kentucky earned the No. 2 seed and faced Missouri in a rain-soaked night game. UK defeated the Tigers on Friday, 5-4, in eight innings.
The Wildcats got on the board first, scoring four runs in the bottom of the third inning. Freshman Megan Glenn led off with her first career base hit. Freshman Lori Melchi lined out to right field after sophomore Brook Bowman came in to pinch run for Glenn. Nikki Jones singled and Jessica Nance walked sending Lyndsey Angus to the plate with the bases loaded. With two strikes, Angus hit a deep fly ball to straightaway centerfield that landed on the warning track. The long single scored Bowman and Jones and sent Nance to third. A groundout by Rachel Friberg scored Nance and advanced Angus to second. Freshman Ingrid Lochelt hit a bloop single over the third baseman’s head scoring Angus and giving Kentucky the four-run advantage.
Missouri put a run on the board in the sixth but it wasn’t enough as the Wildcats got the 4-1 win.
Becky Abner pitched all seven innings, giving up one run on five hits and striking out seven for her second win of the year. Along with Glenn, Melchi also got her first career hit in the game, a single in the fourth inning.
“I was really pleased with the way we played today,” Coach Beth Pruitt said. “Our defense really picked up and Lyndsey (Angus) just had a fantastic day both at the plate and behind it. Amy (Kendall) and Becky (Abner) pitched wonderfully. Hopefully we can keep up this intensity against Stanford tomorrow.”
The Cats will have a rematch with No. 14 Stanford on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET in the championship game. UK lost to the Cardinal, 8-0, on Friday.
First Game R H EKentucky 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 1Penn State 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 6 2
Second Game R H EMissouri 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0Kentucky 0 0 4 0 0 0 X 4 5 0
