April 19, 2008
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Kennesaw State used solid pitching and timely hitting to sweep an Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheader from Campbell on Saturday at Eakes Field. The Owls won an extra-inning pitcher's duel in game one, 2-1, in eight innings before taking the second, 4-2.
Jessica Cross homered for the second straight game in the opener and pitched an effective 4.1 innings to earn her seventh win of the season in game two.
With the game scoreless through four and a half innings, the Camels (33-21, 7-11 A-Sun) drew first blood in the bottom of the fifth. After Brittany Matthews (20-7) got the first two batters of the inning to fly out and strikeout, respectively, Courtney Quinn crushed the first pitch she saw to deep center.
Owls' centerfielder, Lyndsay McCurry did a great job to run it down and nearly made a near-miraculous catch at the fence, but the ball fell from her glove and out of play to give Campbell a 1-0 lead.
It wouldn't take the Black and Gold long to respond as Cross smashed her team-leading 13th longball of the season to left in the sixth to knot the score at 1-1. KSU (33-16, 11-7) looked to threaten again in the seventh, but stranded a pair of runners when McCurry struck out and Jordan Hackett flew out to right.
But their persistence paid off, as the Owls struck gold in the first extra frame. Amanda Malcom led off with a single up the middle. After consecutive fielder's choices put Jacki Warren on first, Jenna Closner ripped a double to right center, scoring Warren and clinching the Owls' ninth one-run win of the season.
Matthews was dominant again in the circle, recording 14 strikeouts and no walks on 118 pitches. The Brooks, Ga. product allowed just three hits and the lone run to pick up the victory. Brittany Stanley (18-8) suffered the loss despite striking out eight, but after allowing the two runs on eight hits.
KSU carried the momentum into the second game, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead. Cross helped her own cause by reaching with a lead-off single in the second. Hollie Huffman walked to load the bases and Sarah Hesterman plated the first run of the contest with a single to left field. Jordan Hackett was then hit by a pitch to double the lead as Closner came home to make it 2-0.
Campbell cut the lead in half with a Amanda Cline sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the second. KSU answered back in the third when Warren drove in Catherine Rodriguez to stretch the lead to 3-1.
Rodriguez drove in a run of her own in the fifth, scoring Huffman who led off the inning with a single, putting the final run on the board for the Owls.
KSU has won six straight A-Sun games and will look to make it eight in a row when they return to the Tar Heel State for a showdown with Gardner-Webb on Thursday. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Boiling Springs.
