By: by Mark Toma
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KENNESAW, Ga. - Reigning Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week, Ashlee Burkett, will lead Kennesaw State into a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader against Georgia Southern at 3:00 p.m. at Bailey Park.
Burkett, who is leading the Owls with a .366 average, won her second Player of the Week award on Monday after hitting .600 (9-for-15) for the week with a pair of home runs while hitting safely in all five games for the Owls. The freshman first baseman ranks as one of the top offensive players in the A-Sun as she is listed among the top 10 in nine offensive categories.
Kennesaw State (23-19) is riding a three-game winning streak with a road win at USC Upstate and a doubleheader sweep of East Tennessee State on Saturday. The Black and Gold are also looking to snap its five-game non-conference losing streak. The Owls haven’t won a non-conference game since Mar. 24 when they defeated Georgia State, 6-1, in Panthersville.
Freshman Abbey Meixel (8-8) has been pitching well of late, winning her last three decisions, including a complete-game shutout over Belmont and a victory of No. 25-ranked Lipscomb. Fellow hurler Jessica Cross is continuing another strong season, both in the circle and at the plate.
Cross (13-7) is leading the Owls with a 1.87 earned run average and is one of the top two-way players in the A-Sun. Cross has thrown 12 complete games in her 18 starts this season and has 101 strikeouts in just over 131 innings of pitching. Batting, Cross has a team-high 10 home runs and is tied for the team lead with 32 runs batted in.
Tuesday afternoon’s twin bill marks the first time since the 2006 season that the two teams have meet. The Owls and the Eagles met in Statesboro, Ga., in the first Division I games played by Kennesaw State. The Owls swept a doubleheader, winning the first game, 11-7 in eight innings, before taking the nightcap, 6-3.
The Owls will face a Georgia Southern team that has lost eight of its last nine games, with their lone victory during that stretch coming in a 1-0 win over Samford last Friday night. The Eagles (21-21) have been competitive, however, playing seven one-run games in their last 11 contests, including a 5-4 loss to No. 6-ranked Georgia Tech.
Georgia Southern has a strong combination of speed and power in their lineup. Nina Iduate leads the Eagles in hitting with a .443 mark in 41 games and also has a .477 on-base percentage. The speedy shortstop is complemented by power-hitting designated hitter Megen Smith, who is hitting .310 with a team-leading 14 home runs and 32 runs batted in and a .705 slugging percentage.
Breena Streetmon (15-9) is the Eagles top starter. The right-hander has a 1.83 earned run average and has thrown five complete games this season, and has pitched shutouts against Minnesota, Charleston Southern, Appalachian State, Mercer and Samford.
First-pitch between the Owls and the Eagles is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at Bailey Park. The second game will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
