March 8, 2008
Box Score
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Amanda Malcom and Kelsey Kulk each had two hits and Angela Lopez threw five solid innings as Kennesaw State won its fifth straight game with a 3-1 victory over Indiana on Saturday afternoon at the Under Armour Invitational.
The Owls (18-5) have now won eight of their last nine games, with the only loss coming to Georgia State in the Spring Showdown.
Kennesaw State tallied the game's first run in the bottom of the first after Jessica Cross doubled to right center with two outs. Kulk recorded the first of her two hits as she connected on a pitch to left field to score Cross and put the Owls ahead, 1-0.
The Black and Gold extended its lead in the third when Malcom led off the frame with her second homer of the year after smashing a Jennifer Moore (1-2) pitch to deep left field, plating the Owls second run of the game. Cross was next up and fouled out for the first out of the inning.
Kulk followed with her team-leading fourth double of the season and advanced to third on a wild pitch, before Connally scored the right fielder with a sacrifice fly.
Indiana (3-10) struggled against Lopez (3-3) as the Hoosiers went hitless through the first three innings. Emily Bergeson recorded IU's first hit in the fourth as her two-out double found the gap in left center. But luckily for the Owls, Lopez baited Sarah Padove into popping up to Malcom at short to end the potential rally.
The Hoosiers got on the board in the sixth when Jennifer Glueckert reached base on a Connally muffed throw and Julia Hamilton blooped a double down the left line.
From there, the Hoosiers had a couple breaks go against them that brought the inning to a close with just one run crossing the plate. Brittany Devitt followed with a hard shot off third baseman Laura Stallings' glove that trickled away towards Malcom. Glueckert tried to score on the play but Malcom was alert and picked up the ball and threw home for the first out of the inning and leaving the Hoosiers with runners on first and third.
The inning continued with Jennilee Huddleston sent a fly ball down the right field line that drifted into foul territory. Kulk caught it for the second out and fired home to try to get Hamilton, who was tagging on the play. Hamilton easily made it home and the throw came all the way to the plate and bounced away from catcher Jenna Closner. Devitt then tried to make it to second base but was thrown out there for the final out of the inning, but IU did cut the lead to 3-1.
After giving up a lead-off double to start the seventh, Matthews settled down to pick up her second save of the season.
Kennesaw State will look to finish the Under Armour Invitational perfect as the Owls close out the event by playing Syracuse on Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m.
