March 21, 2008
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Kennesaw State softball team opened Atlantic Sun Conference play by splitting with long-time foe, USC Upstate, on Friday afternoon at Cyrill Stadium. The Spartans snapped their 10-game losing streak against the Owls by taking game one, 2-1, before the Black and Gold won game two by the same score.
The Owls (22-8, 1-1 A-Sun) dropped their conference opening game for the second straight season. Upstate moved its record to 16-7 overall and 2-2 in its first season in the A-Sun.
Both games turned out to be great pitching duels as both teams' pitchers combined for 27 total strikeouts and just three total earned runs allowed.
Two fourth-inning errors were the Owls undoing in game one. Already leading 1-0 after Jessica Cross drove in her team-high 24 RBI with a bases loaded single in the top of the third, Kennesaw State allowed the lead-off batter, Kim Brasil, to single through the right side.
Shay Slater followed by reaching first and then advancing to second after Cross' throw across the field was uncatchable by first baseman, Jacki Warren, to put two runners in scoring position. Heidi Gibbs notched her second hit of the contest with a single to score Brasil and tie the game at 1-1.
The Spartans' offensive leader then put her speed to use as she took off for second. Owls catcher Jenna Closner threw to gun down Gibbs but her rocket was too high, going into centerfield and bringing home Slater for what ended up being the winning run.
Brittany Matthews (14-2) was tagged for the loss after tossing six innings, allowing just four hits while striking out five Upstate batters. Morgan Childers (13-3) continued her phenomenal freshman season for the Spartans, fanning 15 Owl batters, including striking the side three times, while giving up eight hits and the lone earned run to pick up the win.
Game two featured another display of wonderful pitching as Cross and Upstate's Brittany Rice stole the show. The Owls freshman hurler pitched 4.1 innings of scoreless ball, with two strikeouts and one hit allowed before giving way to Matthews, who closed out the game to pick up her league-leading 14th victory of the season. Childers came on in relief for the Spartans and took the loss after allowing a run in the seventh.
After five innings without a run crossing the plate, KSU broke the draw with a single run in the sixth. Amanda Malcom led off the inning with a single. Childers came in to relieve Rice and got a strikeout and a ground out as Malcom moved to third with two outs. Upstate appeared to be out of the inning unharmed when Kelsey Kulk hit a grounder to third, but Sasha Stepaniuk failed to make the play, allowing Malcom to score give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
Upstate responded in the bottom of the frame when Slater scored from second on Lauren Quevedo's single up the middle. It wouldn't take the Black and Gold long to respond, as Closner led off the seventh with her fourth homer of the year to give the Owls a 2-1 lead and, eventually, the win.
Malcom led Kennesaw State at the plate, finishing the day with four hits. Corri Connally, Jordan Hackett, Cross and Closner each closed the doubleheader with a pair of hits.
The Owls will return to the friendly confines of Bailey Park on Tuesday afternoon to host a doubleheader against the University of Albany. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
