By: by Scott Lipsky
Live stats Game Notes
TROY, Ala. – The Kennesaw State Owls softball team will try to get back to their winning ways on Tuesday when they visit the Troy Trojans for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. EDT.
Following a 13-5 start to the season, the Owls (13-9) have dropped four consecutive games, all of them by a margin of two runs or less. They fell in their first two, 2-1 at home to Penn State and 5-4 at Jacksonville State, in extra innings before being defeated in both games of a doubleheader at home to Georgia State, 1-0 and 3-1, on Friday evening.
The Black and Gold have stayed within striking distance in all of their games during their slump, and that is thanks in large part to the strong pitching they have continued to receive from their staff. Freshman Amanda Henderson allowed just one hit and one walk in a complete game performance on Friday night in the opener to Georgia State, taking the tough-luck loss while striking out eight batters. Jessica Cross and Cat Tarvin combined to give up just one earned earn run in the night-cap, with the Owls stranding six runners to fall short. Overall, the staff has posted a 1.69 earned run average during the last four games.
"It was promising to see us pitch well again on Friday evening, but obviously it was a concern that we weren't able to score any runs and give our pitchers support," Owls head coach Scott Whitlock said. "Tuesday against Troy is a final dress rehearsal for us before we start conference play, so we're looking to continue to get better in all facets of our game."
Following Tuesday's doubleheader will be the Owls Atlantic Sun Conference season openers, as they will visit North Florida and Jacksonville in a pair of league doubleheaders over the weekend.
Newcomers Bianca Durant and Sara Sikes are two Owls that have been consistent at the plate throughout the team’s skid, the freshman Durant recording three hits in the doubleheader on Friday evening, while Sikes, a sophomore who transferred to Kennesaw State for the 2011 season, had a hit in each game, extending her streak of games in which she has reached based via either a hit or walk to 11.
In Troy (18-11), the Owls find a team that has lost four of their last five games, but feature one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the nation in junior infielder Nikki Hollett. Hollett, who was an All-Sun Belt honoree in 2010 enters Tuesday batting .423 with 15 home runs and 39 RBI.
The pitcher’s circle for the Trojans is dominated by senior Ashlyn Williams, who has followed up last season’s 402 strikeout performance, the sixth best in the nation, with another solid campaign, as she is just 7-7 but has four shutouts and a 2.24 earned run average.
The Trojans received one vote in the most recent USA Today/NFCA National Top 25 Poll.
The squads met for a doubleheader in Kennesaw last season, the Owls sweeping the set at Bailey Park, 5-1 and 17-9. Cross saw a huge amount of success at the plate against the Trojans, going 5-for-7 with two home runs and seven RBI over the two games. She also tossed a complete game in their 5-1 win, striking out four batters. The games were the first two played against one another.
Live stats will be available for Tuesday’s games.
