By: by Scott Lipsky
KENNESAW, Ga.- It won’t take long for the Kennesaw State softball team to have a chance to snap their three-game losing streak, as they host Troy in a double-header at Bailey Park on Tuesday afternoon beginning at 2 p.m.
Coming off of a 2-3 performance as hosts of the Phyliss Rafter Memorial, the Owls (4-3) will try to further develop their young talent as the Atlantic Sun Conference schedule draws nearer. Their young team looked the part on Sunday in a 9-1 loss against Tennessee Tech, committing four costly errors and stranding seven runners on base.
Encouraging for head coach Scott Whitlock’s club was a group of veteran players that stepped up and played well in big spots. Senior outfielder Kelsey Kulk had a hit in each of the team’s five games at the Rafter Memorial, batting .400 and earning a spot on the all-tournament team.
Redshirt sophomore Jessica Cross, who pitches and plays shortstop, was also named to the all-tournament team for her performance on the mound, which included four scoreless innings and seven strikeouts against Alabama State in the Owls 11-0 victory. Senior catcher Jenna Closner hit a home run in the win over ASU, her second of the season.
This will be the program’s first-ever meeting against Troy. The Trojans (6-1), who competes in the Sun Belt Conference, just wrapped up play at the UCF Invitational in Orlando, with their last game being a 5-4 win over South Carolina of the Southeastern Conference. Their 4-1 record in Orlando earned them the tournament championship. They boast the reigning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week, Ashlyn Williams, who comes into Tuesday with a 5-1 record and 0.89 Earned Run Average.
Tuesday’s games at Bailey Park will be the first that are scheduled to be played on the KSU campus. The Owls two games against South Dakota State in the K-Club Classic was played at Bailey Park, but only after bad weather forced the program to move the tournament from Twin Creeks Softball Complex in Woodstock.
It will be a quick turnaround for the Owls, as they will play at Georgia Tech on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
