By: by Scott Lipsky
Game One Box Score I Game Two Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. – On a special day at Bailey Park, the Kennesaw State Owls made a little girl’s day and went toe-to-toe with the first place team in the Atlantic Sun Conference, splitting a doubleheader with the Lipscomb Bisons on Saturday afternoon. They dropped the first game, 6-1, and took the second, 5-3.
The Owls (20-17, 6-4 A-Sun) faced pitcher Whitney Kiihnl in the first game, and the sophomore with the second lowest earned run average in the A-Sun entering Saturday showed why she was towards the top, holding Kennesaw State to just one run on just three hits while striking out eight in her complete game to move to 21-2 on the season. Senior outfielder Kelsey Kulk was able to hit the first of her two home runs on the day off of Kiihnl, a solo shot to lead off the fifth inning that cleared the left field fence and made the score 4-1.
Lipscomb (33-8, 10-2 A-Sun), ranked No. 25 in the country coming into Saturday, took a quick lead against Owls starter Jessica Cross, scoring one run with two outs in the first inning and three more in the third on the strength of a two-run home run and two Kennesaw State errors to make it a 4-0 game.
Scott Whitlock’s club threatened to cut into the lead and potentially make it a nail-biter in the sixth inning. After two Bisons errors and a walk loaded the bases with Owls with two outs, Kiihnl was able to get Kulk to ground into a force out at second, and the Bisons scored two in the top of the seventh to make it 6-1 and put the game out of reach.
The Owls bats were much more potent in the second game, as they took a 3-0 lead in the second inning off of Lipscomb starter Christen Campbell thanks to back-to-back doubles by Sharon Swanson and Jenna Closner followed by a two-run home run by Kulk. The home run was the fourth of the season for the White Plains, New York native, and it was the second time that she hit two home runs in one day, previously hitting two in the same game against Georgia on March 31.
Kennesaw State would score two more in the fifth inning on a pair of bases loaded walks against Kiihnl, who relieved Campbell with one out in the fifth.
Freshman pitcher Abbey Meixel made it easy for her team to hold onto the lead. The right-hander cruised through the first six innings, shutting out the Bisons and allowing just one hit. She would get two outs in the seventh before giving way to Cross after Lipscomb made it 5-3. Cross would throw just two pitches to Kiihnl before getting her to ground out to shortstop to end the game and earn her second save of the season. Meixel earned the win to improve to 7-8.
“I threw a lot of pitches today, so towards the end of the game, I wanted to make sure I kept the ball on the ground and let the defense make plays behind me,” Meixel said. “They all did a great job making some great plays and keeping my confidence up today.”
Sharon Swanson led the Owls at the plate in game two, going 4-for-4 and scoring two runs. Closner, hitting right behind Swanson, went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
“Our players played really hard today against a very good team. I’m pleased with the effort, and overall, winning three conference games out of four is very good,” Whitlock said, referring to his team’s sweep of Belmont on Friday combined with Saturday’s split. “Hopefully we can continue to improve and learn from every game we play.”
Saturday was Lexi’s Day at the ballpark, in honor of seven year-old Alexis Kaiser, who lives with Cerebral Palsy. All proceeds from the game, which included a buffet lunch courtesy of the Marietta Fish Market, went to the Alexis Kaiser Foundation, a charitable organization that raises money for children with Cerebral Palsy and other special needs. Through the efforts of the entire Kennesaw State softball program, Lexi’s Day raised around $3,000 on Saturday.
On the field prior to the first game, Lexi was presented with a custom-made tricycle for her so she can ride her bike with her two sisters and brother, which has always been a dream of hers. The bike was made by Ambucs, a company based in Birmingham, Ala. that specializes in transportation solutions for those with special needs.
The Owls return to action on Wednesday night at Bailey Park when they face No. 10-ranked Georgia Tech in the team’s second meeting of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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Kelsey Kulk Postgame Interview
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Scott Whitlock Postgame Interview
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| Lexi's Day Pregame Ceremony |
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