March 22, 2003
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Tuscaloosa, Ala. – The University of Kentucky softball (9-20, 1-10) team fell in both games of a doubleheader with the 18th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (24-10, 7-1), Saturday at the UA Softball Complex. The Tide took the first game 7-4 and narrowly escaped in the second 2-1.
The Wildcats began the first game by putting two runs on the board in the first. Senior Nikki Jones led off with a double down the left field line. Lyndsey Angus reached first on an infield single but Jones was thrown out trying to advance to third. Junior Rachel Friberg hit a grounder to the pitcher, who couldn’t field it cleanly. The error put runners on first and second with two out. Sophomore Jessica Nance then hit a shot in the gap in right center. The triple scored Friberg and Angus and gave Kentucky the early lead.
The Tide answered in the bottom half of the inning. Following a groundout and a walk, Alabama’s Jackie McClain hit third home run of the season over the right centerfield fence, knotting the score at two.
UA took the brief lead in the second when Staci Ramsey crossed the plate on a single by Ashley Courtney. The Cats answered in the top of the third. Jones led off the inning with a walk and was putout at second on a fielder’s choice by sophomore Megan Brooks. Angus hit a dribbler up the middle allowing Brooks to get to third. With one out, Angus attempted to steal. She danced around the tag long enough to allow Brooks to go home and tie the score.
Alabama broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth. Following a double by Lacy Prejean, Amy Kendall retired the next two UA batters. But then four straight hits scored four runs giving the Tide the 7-3 lead.
Kentucky scored again in the top of the sixth. Following Angus’ third hit of the game, a double to right center, Nance knocked her third base hit of the game into right field, scoring Angus. Kentucky couldn’t get anything going in the seventh and Alabama came away with the 7-4 win.
Angus and Nance were both 3-3. Nance had three RBIs and Angus scored two of the four Kentucky runs. The three hits for Nance were a single-game career high for the sophomore.
In the second game, it was Alabama who got on the board first. In the bottom of the third inning, Jackie Wilkins led off with a single and advance to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ashley Courtney. Jackie McClain then hit a single up the middle, scoring Wilkins.
The Cats tied it up in the top of the fourth. Lyndsey Angus waited on an Erin Wright change-up and knocked it over the left centerfield fence for her fifth home run of the season.
Alabama came back in the bottom of the sixth. McClain hit her second home run of the day to lead off the inning and five the Tide a 2-1 lead. Three straight Kentucky batters were retired in the top of the seventh and giving the Tide the win.
The three-game series will conclude on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. CT. Live stats will be available on www.rolltide.com.
Game 1#18 Alabama 7, Kentucky 4
Kentucky 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 4 9 0Alabama 2 1 0 4 0 0 X 7 9 1
Game 2#18 Alabama 2, Kentucky 1
Kentucky 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 2Alabama 0 0 1 0 0 1 X 2 5 0
