March 21, 2007
Box Score
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Brittany Matthews allowed just two hits against the ETSU Buccaneers this afternoon. Unfortunately, both of those hits were home runs by Stephanie Gaynord as ETSU defeated Kennesaw State, 2-0, in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon.
East Tennessee State (11-14, 1-0 A-Sun) and Gaynord (2-for-3) did all their damage in the first and sixth innings to support the two-hit pitching of Mary Catherine Vercoe. The ETSU win snapped the Owls eight-game winning streak and prevented KSU head coach Scott Whitlock from getting his 800th fast-pitch win.
While the Buccaneers starter was effective, Kennesaw State (26-11, 0-1 A-Sun) did threaten to score early, putting runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings.
Kelsey Kulk (1-for-2) was hit by a pitch in the first inning and moved to second on a passed ball with one out before being stranded. In the second inning, the Owls had runners on first and second with two outs courtesy of a fielder's choice by Klair Wells (0-for-3) and a single by Jamie KeKaualua (1-for-3). However, Vercoe got Malcom to ground out to end the inning.
In the top of the third inning, Kennesaw State got a pair of runners on base when with two outs, Keri McKee (0-for-3) and Jennifer Nolan (0-for-3) reached on consecutive errors by ETSU. But Vercoe got April Keasler (0-for-3) to ground into a force at second base to end the threat.
Kennesaw State would have only one base runner the rest of the game, a base hit by Kulk in the top of the fifth inning. The freshman singled to left field and stole second base with two outs, but Vercoe retired McKee on a pop up to shortstop.
While Vercoe (7-6) shutdown the final seven batters of the game for ETSU, Matthews (12-3), on the other hand, was completely dominant with the exception of the two home runs. The southpaw struck out seven batters and did not allow a walk as she retired 18 of the 20 batters she faced. The junior retired 17 straight hitters in between home runs.
