By: by Scott Lipsky
Box Scores: Game 1 Game 2
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State Owls received a pair of strong pitching performances on Friday evening, but struggled at the plate, falling in both games of a doubleheader against the Georgia State Panthers, 1-0 and 3-1, at Bailey Park.
Freshman pitcher Amanda Henderson went the distance for the Owls (13-9) in the first game, tossing seven innings and allowing just one earned run on one hit and one walk while striking out eight. She allowed the lone run of the game in the third inning, after retiring the first six Georgia State (13-14) batters of the evening. After walking Audrey Mason to lead off the third inning, Mason would steal second with one out, and would then score on a double to the right center field wall by Brenna Morrissey, accounting for the only run and lone Panther hit of the game.
The Black and Gold had opportunities to get on the board, stranding the bases loaded in the first inning after a pair of hits and a walk, and also putting two runners on base in the third inning, but were unable to capitalize. They put the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh inning after pinch hitter Lyndsay McCurry laid down a perfect bunt that rolled to the right of the pitcher’s mound to lead things off in their last stand. Jensen Hackett would sacrifice her over to second, before Panthers relief pitcher set down Ashlee Burkett on a pop-up to first base and struck out Sara Sikes to end the first game.
Georgia State jumped out to a quick, 1-0, lead in the second game against Owls starter Jessica Cross on the strength of a two-out single up the middle that scored Morrissey from third. They would score two more runs in the third inning, taking advantage of a Kennesaw State error before a double and a single would bring home their insurance runs. A third hit could have meant more of a deficit for the Owls, but a Mason single to center field was played brilliantly by Durant, who made a laser throw to catcher Morgan Chapman who blocked the plate and tagged base runner Paige Nowacki out to end the inning.
Despite being held hitless until the sixth inning, the Owls were in the second game until the very end. A Sikes infield hit was followed by Cross getting hit by a pitch, bringing Sharon Swanson to plate representing the tying run. Swanson would hit one right on the screws into deep left field, but it was right at the Panthers’ left fielder to end the threat.
The Black and Gold would get on the board in the bottom of the seventh, with Hackett hitting an infield single to the shortstop with two outs that would score Bianca Durant, who led off the inning with an infield single of her own. Ashlee Burkett would follow her to the plate, with Hackett on first and Tarvin, who had doubled earlier in the inning, on third, but would foul out to first base to end the game.
Cross went four and a third innings in the pitcher’s circle in the second game, allowing three runs, just one of them earned, on six hits, striking out three and walking four, before being replaced by Tarvin with one out in the fifth. Tarvin would keep the Owls within striking distance, pitching two and two thirds innings of one hit, shutout ball. The loss dropped Cross to 7-3 on the season.
Durant, Sikes and Hackett all had hits in both games, with Durant going 2-for-4 in the first contest. Sikes extended her streak of reaching base by either a hit or a walk to 11 straight games on Friday evening.
The Black and Gold, who have now dropped four games in a row, travel to troy for a doubleheader on Tuesday, Mar. 22. The road games will be the first of eight consecutive contests away from Bailey Park, with the Owls returning home on Mar. 30 to face UAB.
