March 9, 2007
Box Score
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - After jumping out to an early lead, Kennesaw State could not hang on as South Alabama downed the Owls, 7-3, in the first game of the Panther Spring Classic hosted by Birmingham Southern on Friday afternoon.
KSU (18-9) got on the board first when Keri McKee smacked her second home run of the season. Jamie KeKaualua preceded McKee by singling to the shortstop, and then the preseason A-Sun Player of the Year hit her second longball down the right field line to give the Owls a 2-0 lead.
South Alabama (10-7) responded in the top of the second as they narrowed the lead to 2-1 when Evelyne Pare's double down the leftfield line scored Carolina Mendoza.
The Jaguars would tie the game in the very next inning as South Alabama got its first two runners on base after a single and a hit batter, ending Brittany Matthews' day. Janet Kearns came out of the pen and hit her first batter to load the bases and then walked Jenny Stevens to bring the tying run home.
USA kept applying the pressure as they added two more in the top of the fourth inning to take the lead for good. After Kearns walked Pare and then two straight strikeouts, Tara Donaldson homered to left center, giving the Jaguars a 4-2 lead. They would go on to put up three more runs in the top of the sixth, putting the game out of reach and sending the Owls home with their third straight loss.
McKee drove in the Owls last run in the sixth after her single scored Kelley Cowart, who started her first game of the season after being sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Kearns (2-3) suffered the loss for KSU, while Linden Jones moved to 6-3 for the Jaguars.
The Owls will be back in action this afternoon when they face Austin Peay.
