By: by Mark Toma
Box Scores:
Game 1 I
Game 2
DeLAND, Fla. – Stetson’s Amanda Lindsey was too much for Kennesaw State to handle on Saturday afternoon as the Hatters came from behind with walk-off wins in both ends of a doubleheader as they swept the Owls in a pair of extra-inning thrillers, 7-3 and 2-1, at Patricia Wilson Field.
Lindsey (22-10) pitched a complete game in the opener, which she won with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning, and picked up the win in relief with three hitless innings as she struck out five of the nine batters she faced in the nightcap.
In the nightcap, the Owls (24-22, 9-7 A-Sun) jumped ahead early with a run in the top of the second inning on a run-scoring single by freshman Hannah Graham. The lead would last until the bottom of the sixth inning when Stetson (30-19, 12-6 A-Sun) tied the game on a groundout to shortstop.
Abbey Meixel (9-9) was again solid in the circle, allowing just two runs in nine and one-third innings of gutty work. The freshman retired the first six batters she faced and pitched out of a bases loaded situation in the third inning.
Meixel surrendered a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh inning, but pitched out of the jam to keep the game tied. She then went-out-for-out with Lindsey, who entered the game in the eighth inning for Stetson. The two hurlers retired 12 straight batters over the next two innings as the game headed into an international tiebreaker.
The Owls were retired in order in the tenth inning by Lindsey and Meixel seemed to catch a break in the bottom of the inning when, with runners on first and second after an intentional walk, first baseman Ashlee Burkett fielded a grounder and threw across the diamond to get the lead runner. However, Stetson’s Katelyn Perna singled to right field to load the bases and Rachel Lowe delivered the game-winning hit with a slow rolling infield grounder giving the Hatters their sixth straight win.
In the first game, the Owls took advantage of five Stetson errors for three runs, but the Hatters rallied for a two-out, game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning and a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the eighth to seal a win that saw four lead changes and two ties.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, an error by Burkett and a single by Jessica Lokeinsky put starter Jessica Cross (13-9) and the Owls in trouble. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position and an intentional walk loaded the bases for the Hatters leading hitter. Lindsey then launched her team-leading ninth home run over the center field fence for Stetson’s fifth straight win.
The Hatters got on the board first scoring in the second inning on a groundout. Cross walked Jill Semento to leadoff the inning and Perna followed with a single through the left side. After a fielder’s choice put runners on the corner, Lowe grounded to Klair Wells at shortstop, scoring Semento for a 1-0 lead.
A pair of third inning errors led to a, 2-1, Owls lead. With one out, Hannah Graham reached on a throwing error by Lindsay, after the second out of the inning, the hot-hitting Burkett singled to left field to tie the game and extend her hitting streak to eight games. Another throwing error by Lindsay scored Burkett for the second unearned run of the inning.
Stetson tied the game in the bottom of the third inning on a successful, two-out double steal. Brittany Knipp, who was hit by a pitch top lead off the inning, was at third base and Lokeinsky was at first base after reaching on a single. Lokeinsky took off for second base and when Jenna Closner fired down to second base for the out, Knipp scampered home before the out to tie the game.
Another error in the seventh inning led to the Owls third run as Graham once again reached first, this time on a throwing error by third baseman Semento. Jordan Hackett pinch ran and advanced to second on a wild pitch. She moved to third on a groundout and after an intentional walk to Burkett, Sharon Swanson broke the tie with a single to center field scoring Hackett. Burkett tried scoring from first base, but was thrown out at the plate by Knipp.
The Owls were victimized by a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out, Chelsea Whalley reached on an infield single, advanced to second on a groundout and moved to third on a passed ball. Chelsey Trotto tied the game with a single to right field.
Lindsey was at times dominating as she struck out 10 batters without allowing an earned run. She allowed just three singles and double while walking three batters as she won her fourth straight decision.
The Owls will be back in action on Thursday afternoon when they host Jacksonville in an atlantic Sun Conference doubleheader at Bailey Park. First pitch between the Owls and the Dolphins is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
News & Notes Saturday’s second game was exactly two hours long, marking the third time in the last six games the Owls have played a two hour affair …
Ashlee Burkett saw her eight-game hitting snapped in the nightcap when she went 0-for-5 … Also in the second game,
Hannah Graham had her sixth multi-hit game of the season … The freshman had an RBI single in the second inning and an infield hit in the fourth inning …
Abbey Meixel saw her streak of four straight wins come to an end in the second game even though she threw the longest game of her career, going nine and one-third innings … Meixel’s ERA in the state of Florida is 2.25, more a run lower than her season earned run average of 3.24 …
Amanda Lindsey of Stetson struck out 15 batters in 11 innings of work … Stetson committed five errors in each game, marking the most errors by a Kennesaw State opponent since Troy committed six miscues on Feb. 23 in the second game of a doubleheader at Bailey Park.
