April 26, 2003
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Fayetteville, Ark. – The University of Kentucky softball team (13-39, 2-26) ended their conference losing streak of 23 games with a shutout win in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday against Arkansas (24-33, 8-21). The Cats fell 2-1 in the first game but got the 4-0 victory in the second after a one-hit pitching performance by UK hurler Crystalie Wolfe.
Game 1 – Arkansas 2, Kentucky 1
Kentucky would threaten in the first inning of the first game. After two ground-outs, the Cats loaded the bases on a single by Lyndsey Angus, an error on a Rachel Friberg grounder and an Amy Kendall walk. But Arkansas pitcher Heather Schlichtman struck out Jessica Nance on three pitches to end the inning.
The Lady ‘Backs put the first runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Julie Young walked with one out and proceeded to steal second. Barbara Southmayd beat out an infield single moving Young to third. Sarah Hill came in to run for Southmayd and stole second. With runners on second and third, Stephanie Hunter knocked a base hit up the middle scoring Young. Nance mishandled the ball in centerfield allowing Hunter to get to second. Following a strike out, pinch-hitter Ruth Atkins singled to left scoring Hill. But Hunter rounded third too far and was thrown out by leftfielder Megan Brooks as she was trying to get back to the bag.
Kentucky cut the two-run lead in half in the top of the next inning. Nikki Jones singled for the second time in the game and was moved to second on Angus’ second single of the day. Friberg, who had hit a fly ball to the fence in her last at bat, laced a double over the left fielder’s head, giving Jones plenty of time to score for the Cats.
The Wildcats were able to hold Arkansas scoreless in the fifth and the sixth, but the Lady ‘Backs did the same to Kentucky in the sixth and the seventh and the game ended with a 2-1 Arkansas victory.
Game 2 – Kentucky 4, Arkansas 0
Kentucky struck first in the second game. Megan Brooks led off the third inning with a double to the wall in left field. After a ground-out, Nikki Jones knocked a single to center field advancing Brooks to third. Jones stole second putting two runners in scoring position with only one out. Arkansas pitcher Valanna Lyons struck out Lori Melchi which brought up Lyndsey Angus. Extending her hitting streak to a career-high 11 games, Angus hit an RBI single through the left side scoring both runners. Angus would advance to second on a passed ball and to third on an infield single by Rachel Friberg. A wild pitch allowed Angus to score and give Kentucky the 3-0 lead.
The Cats would add another run in the sixth. Angus led off with her fourth hit of the day, a double to right center. Friberg hit a line drive just out of the reach of the shortstop for her second hit of the game. Amy Kendall came up and hit a slow grounder up the middle. The fielder’s choice would force Friberg out but Angus came home to put UK ahead 4-0.
Kentucky pitcher Crystalie Wolfe was sensational on the mound. She didn’t give up a hit to the Lady ‘Backs until the fifth inning and it would turn out to be the only hit of the game for Arkansas. It looked as though she might be struggling a bit in the sixth after she walked the first two batters. But a pop-up and a line drive double play ended the threat for Arkansas. A one-two-three seventh inning gave Wolfe her second straight shutout win and the first one-hitter for Kentucky since March 8, 2001.
The win ended Kentucky’s SEC losing streak at 23 games.
The rubber match of the series will take place at 1:00 p.m. CT at Lady Back Yard. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports South.
