By: by Scott Lipsky
Hillenbrand Invitational- Feb. 18-20- Tucson, Ariz.
Box Scores:
Friday, 2/18:
Pacific 5, Owls 1
Drake 7, Owls 5
Saturday, 2/19:
Arizona 8, Owls 0
Owls 9, Texas A&M-CC 1
Live Stats;
Sunday, 2/20:
Owls vs. Drake, 11 a.m. EST
TUCSON, Ariz. – Kennesaw State split their two games on the second day of the Hillenbrand Invitational, defeating the Texas A&M- Corpus Christi Islanders, 9-1, after dropping an 8-0 decision to the hosts and No. 4-ranked Arizona Wildcats.
After holding Arizona (8-1) to a scoreless first inning, the Owls (5-3) steadily allowed the Wildcats to build a lead, giving up two runs in the second inning on a solo home run and RBI single, three runs in the third off of a two-run home run and RBI single. In the fourth inning, the Wildcats scored two more, thanks to the second home run of the day from Kristen Arriola, making it 7-0. Arizona would end the game with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning on an Arriola single, making it 8-0 and ending the game.
Jessica Cross and Cat Tarvin each pitched two innings against the Wildcats, while Abbey Meixel pitched the fifth inning. Sara Sikes and Ashlee Burkett each collected a hit, while Lindsay Vollmer drew two walks.
The offense was immediately in full force during the second game, the Black and Gold scoring three runs in the first inning and five in the second to take a commanding, 8-0 lead. The onslaught began with one out in the first inning, when Jensen Hackett reached on an infield single and was joined on base by Jessica Cross, who doubled to left field for her sixth extra-base hit of the season, setting the stage for Sharon Swanson.
Swanson, who came into the game leading the team this season with 13 RBIs, further added on to her early-season numbers, bashing a three-run home run off Islanders pitcher Greta Cecchetti, her third of the season, to give the Owls the early advantage.
The Owls were right back at it again in the second inning against the Islanders (5-3), as their first five batters reached base without recording an out. After Bianca Durant singled to right field, Morgan Chapman worked out an eight pitch walk before a Brittany Moore single loaded the bases for Sikes.
Sikes, who is off to a solid start to her Owls career, had perhaps her biggest hit yet, driving a two-run double to right field on a 1-2 pitch to make it 5-0. Swanson would come through again three batters later, lifting a fly ball to left field that was deep enough to score Sikes from third base. Ashlee Burkett would put a cap on the scoring barrage with a single to centerfield that drove in Cross and Hackett, making it 8-0.
Swanson would notch her fifth RBI of the day in the seventh inning, when, with the Owls already up 8-1, she doubled to left center field with one out to drive in Cat Tarvin. Swanson was 3-for-3 for the game, with Hackett (3-for-3), Burkett (2-for-4) and Durant (2-for-4) also registering multi-hit games.
Cross and Amanda Henderson would split the pitching duties during the second game, Cross tossing four and a third innings one run, four hit ball before turning it over to Henderson, who retired all eight Islanders batters that she faced.
The Owls wrap up their weekend at the Hillenbrand Invitational on Sunday morning, when they face Drake at 11 a.m. EST. Drake was victorious over the Owls in their first meeting this weekend, taking the contest 7-5 on Friday.
