April 13, 2007
Box Score
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Owls jumped out to a seven-run lead and held on to defeat the Belmont Bruins, 7-5, in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Aquinas Field.
Kennesaw State (33-14, 7-2 A-Sun) led, 7-0, after five innings before Belmont (8-30, 3-10 A-Sun) mounted a rally with a five-run sixth inning.
Starter Brittany Matthews (16-3) cruised through the first five frames before the Bruins got to the Owls ace in the sixth inning. The reigning A-Sun Pitcher of the Week allowed just two hits over the first five innings before Belmont used a one-out walk to Angie Helseth (0-for-3) to get things started. A single by Sammi Parks (2-for-4) followed and a walk to Jess McMillan (0-for-2) loaded the bases.
Matthews walked six batters on the day to go along with her six strikeouts. After Heather Grossnickle (1-for-3) singled, Missy Hobdy relieved Matthews and promptly allowed a double to Erin Mullen (2-for-4), making the score, 7-3. Janet Kearns entered the game and got Meghan Pipken (1-for-2) to line out before surrendering a two-run single to Sarah Vaughn (2-for-4) to pull Belmont within two runs.
Kearns earned her fifth save of the season, but not before allowing a pair of hits in the bottom of the seventh inning. Angie Hoeye (1-for-4) singled to lead off the inning, but KSU center fielder April Keasler cut her down trying to stretch the hit into a double. Parks would single with two outs before Kearns got McMillan to fly out for the final out.
Kelley Cowart (3-for-3) led the Kennesaw State attack with three hits and three runs batted in. Klair Wells (2-for-5) and April Keasler (2-for-4) had two hits each while Keri McKee (0-for-2), who has been getting nothing good to hit all season, was walked three times.
The Owls scored first in the top of the third inning when Keasler's double to left field scored Cowart. The next inning it was Cowart delivering the big blow as her two-out, two-run single scored Wells and Megan Gant (1-for-3), giving KSU a three-run lead.
Kennesaw State scored four runs in the top of the inning as they capitalized on four hits and a pair of Belmont errors. After a walk and fielder's choice, Norie Glazebrook singled back to the pitcher, Jennifer Batte, whose error put runners on second and third.
Gant singled in the first run of the inning and Amanda Malcom's hit put the Owls up by five runs. An error by Bruins first baseman, Hoeye, led to Kennesaw State's sixth run and Cowart concluded the assault with an RBI single.
Kennesaw State will play Lipscomb in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. First pitch for the Bisons and the Owls will be at 3:00 p.m. EST.
