By: by Scott Lipsky
Live Stats
KENNESAW, Ga. – With just four games left in the conference season, the Kennesaw State Owls softball team will be looking to pick up some key wins this weekend when they host A-Sun rival Jacksonville on Thursday afternoon at Bailey Park beginning at 4:00 p.m.
The Owls (24-22, 9-7 A-Sun) are still looking to lock up a spot in their first-ever Atlantic Sun Conference tournament, after dropping a pair of tough games at Stetson this past weekend. Currently tied for third in the conference standings, head coach Scott Whitlock’s club must finish in the top six among eligible teams in order to make the trip to DeLand, Fla., where the tournament will be held May 13-15, with an automatic spot in the NCAA Regional at stake.
Fourth in the A-Sun in runs scored entering Thursday with 198, it will be crucial for the Owls to get back to scoring runs at the consistent rate that they had been doing so for most of the season. In the two games against Stetson and the second game of their doubleheader against Georgia Southern last Tuesday, Kennesaw State has scored a total of just six runs, going 1-2 during that stretch. The issue of driving in runs was brought to the forefront in their second game against Stetson, when they notched eight hits and watched the Hatters commit five errors, but stranded 11 runners on base on their way to a 2-1 defeat.
Two-time Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week, freshman Ashlee Burkett, has continued to hit as her first collegiate regular season comes to a close. The first baseman from Warner Robins, Ga. ranks fifth in the A-Sun in both batting average and on-base percentage entering Thursday, at .362 and .428, respectively. Despite the Owls trouble scoring runs in the past week, she hasn’t slowed down, going 8-for-13 over four games before having her eight-game hitting streak broken in the second game against Stetson on Saturday.
Jacksonville (29-17, 7-7 A-Sun) has put themselves back into position for a spot in the A-Sun tournament as of late after getting off to a slow start during their conference schedule. They were 1-5 against A-Sun opponents before winning six of their last seven contests in conference, including a five game conference winning streak that was just snapped against Campbell on April 17.
The Dolphins are led offensively by redshirt sophomore Kayla Ouellet, who enters Thursday third in batting average in the A-Sun at .364. Her zero home runs on the year are fairly indicative of the type of team her Dolphins are at the plate in 2010. While they are third in the conference in batting average (.265) and on-base percentage (.345), the club ranks ninth in home runs this season with just 18, and 11th in doubles with 45.
Their pitching staff features two solid contributors in the pitcher’s circle in senior Ashley Iveson and freshman Olivia Kline. The duo sport a combined record of 22-11, while Iveson’s earned run average of 1.87 ranks sixth in the A-Sun, not far in front of Kline, who is seventh at a cool 2.00. One will almost surely have to face off against Owl redshirt sophomore Jessica Cross, who is right behind the pair at eighth in the conference with an ERA of 2.02.
If the pitchers from each team are true to form, we may be seeing a repeat of last year’s matchup against the two squads, which took place in Jacksonville on April 11. The teams traded 1-0 victories with great pitching all around. The two teams went into extra innings in the second game, before a Cat Tarvin double drove home Jordan Hackett with two outs in the top of the eighth to give the Owls the run they would need to win the ballgame.
Oddly enough, last year’s pair of shutouts among the two teams has become commonplace in their all-time series, which Scott Whitlock’s club leads 6-2. Prior to last year’s split, Kennesaw State swept 2008’s doubleheader, 4-0 and 3-0, as well as 2007’s, 7-0 and 4-0. The two split their double dip in 2006, with the Dolphins taking the first contest, 2-1, before the Owls’ offense exploded in the second game on their way to an 8-0 win. Overall, seven of the eight contests between the two squads has resulted in a shutout, with Kennesaw State begin on the winning end of six of them.
First pitch on Thursday at Bailey Park is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Live stats will be available. Streaming video of the game will also be available live on asun.tv.
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| Coach Whitlock Discusses Thursday's Upcoming Game |
