By: by Scott Lipsky
Akron Box Score I
WCU Box Score
WOODSTOCK, Ga. – Abbey Meixel and Amanda Burns were dominant in the pitcher’s circle on
Sunday afternoon, leading the Owls to impressive victories over Akron and Western Carolina, 2-0 and 10-1, respectively, during the final day of the Buzz Classic at Twin Creeks Softball Complex in Woodstock, Ga.
Meixel, a freshman, took the rubber in the first game, allowing just six hits and striking out five in her complete game performance over Akron (4-6), to earn the win and move her record to 4-3. A native of Canton, Ga. and product of Cherokee High School, the right-hander worked quickly in the first game, which had an 11 a.m. start time, only once allowing more than one base runner in an inning.
The Owls (12-5) provided Meixel with all the support she would need in the bottom of the third. Freshman Ashley Burkett, who had hits in both contests on
Sunday to extend her hitting streak to six games, hit a one-out triple to right center field, one of three that the Owls that would collect during these two games after having just one during the first 15 games. She would score one batter later on a heads-up play when Klair Wells flew out to the shortstop in very shallow left center field. Burkett timed things perfectly, taking off from third as soon as the ball was caught, and beat the throw home to give the Owls a 1-0 lead.
Scott Whitlock’s club would give themselves an insurance run in the very next inning, when freshman Sharon Swanson doubled to right-center to drive in Erica Joseph, who was pinch-running for Jenna Closner, to make it 2-0.
Burns, a sophomore, took the ball in the second game of the afternoon against the Western Carolina Catamounts (3-8). She was extremely solid, as well, going the distance and allowing just one run, which came on a solo home run in the bottom of the third. Overall, the Catamounts had just two hits against the Lawrenceville, Ga. native.
The bats were active, as well, in the second game. Senior Hollie Huffman notched her first RBI of the season in the top of the second inning, driving in Kelsey Kulk on a fielder’s choice to make it 1-0.
Kennesaw State took complete command of the game in the following inning, when Klair Wells hit a triple and was able to jog home when Jessica Cross bashed her team-leading sixth home run of the season to right center field. They added one more on a Swanson double to make it 4-0.
Seniors Kulk and Jenna Closner had three hits on the game for Owls, and Swanson was a third Owl to have multiple hits with two. The contest capped an encouraging weekend for the Black and Gold, who went 4-1 at the Buzz Classic. Cross was named to the All-Tournament team after going 5-for-14 with six RBIs at the plate and going 2-0 with two complete games as a pitcher.
“I thought our pitching was great this weekend. Jessica, Abbey and Amanda really gave us great chances to win every game,” Whitlock said. “It was good to see Amanda Burns really attack the strike zone this afternoon and pitch as well as she did. Overall, this was a good weekend, we really competed against all of our opponents.”
The Owls will leave the greater Atlanta area for the first time this season when they kick-off their A-
Sun conference schedule on
Wednesday at Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers, Fla. That will be followed by a five-game stretch in the USF Under-Armour Classic in Clearwater, Fla.,
Friday through
Sunday.
