By: by Scott Lipsky
Box Scores: Game One Game Two
Jacksonville- Saturday, 1 p.m.: Watch Live (ASun.tv) Live Stats
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| Abbey Meixel talks about her pitching performances on Saturday |
The Owls score two runs in the top of the eighth inning to win the second game, 7-5 |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Kennesaw State Owls used timely hitting, solid pitching, and their opponent’s miscues to their advantage on Friday, sweeping the North Florida Ospreys, 5-3 and 7-5, in their Atlantic Sun Conference opening doubleheader.
Both games featured the Owls (16-10, 2-0 A-Sun) recovering from early deficits. They trailed 3-0 in the opening game after the first inning, before scoring one run in the third inning on a Sara Sikes double and then changing the course of the game with four runs in the sixth inning.
Down 3-1 entering the sixth, Jessica Cross, Sharon Swanson and Bianca Durant kicked off the frame with back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases with nobody out. Moore would walk home Cross two batters later to make it a one-run game, which brought Jensen Hackett to the plate. Hackett would have an eventful at-bat, as first she watched Swanson score from third to tie the game when a pick-off attempt by the North Florida (15-16, 0-2 A-Sun) catcher was errant and went into left field, and then saw a wild pitch score Durant from third to give the Owls the lead. Hackett would then single through the right side to score Moore and give the Black and Gold the cushion they needed for the rest of the contest.
The Owls Abbey Meixel, who would pick up the win in both games on Friday, was spectacular in the pitcher’s circle in the first game, relieving Cross with one out in the second inning. Trailing, 3-0, Meixel, would not allow the Ospreys score again in 5 and two thirds innings of work, allowing just four hits and striking out nine, with none of her batters getting past second base.
Kennesaw State would fall behind, 1-0, in the bottom of the first inning, as North Florida’s Jackie Reese would hit her first of two solo home runs in the game. The Owls wouldn’t be behind for long, however, once again using the big inning to propel them to victory. Swanson, who was 2-for-4 in the second game and has had five hits over the last three games, led off the top of the second with a base hit. After being sacrificed over to second base by Durant, she would steal third and would score easily on a base hit by Moore. An infield single by Hackett two batters later would score Lindsay Vollmer from third base to give the Owls the lead. Ashlee Burkett would come to the plate next, and would also notch an infield single, her first of four hits in the game, scoring Moore for the third run of the inning. Sikes would then strike again, singling to the right side to score Hackett, completing the four-run inning and giving the Owls a, 4-1, lead.
The Black and Gold added one more in the third inning by way of a Hackett RBI single, one of three she had during the doubleheader.
UNF would come roaring back, however, Reese hitting her second home run of the game in the bottom of the third off of Amanda Henderson, who came in for Meixel after she pitched the first two innings of the game.
Still up, 5-2, in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Owls would allow UNF to tie things up, loading up the bases with nobody out on the back of two walks and an error, with Henderson starting the inning in the circle before giving way to Cat Tarvin before returning to Meixel. Meixel would allow a sacrifice fly to make it, 5-3, and after striking out Reese, she would walk Alyson Bailey and then give up a bloop single to Lauren Pollack to center field, which scored two runs and tied up the game. She would get Mariah Reynolds to fly out to left field to end the inning and keep the score tied.
The game would go into extra innings, the fourth time they have required extra frames in their last eight games. In the top of the eighth inning, the Owls had Hackett on second and Burkett on first with Sikes at the plate. Sikes would hit a fly ball to left centerfield that was dropped by the UNF centerfielder, allowing both runners to score what would be the game-winning runs. Meixel would put the tying runs on base in the bottom of the eighth before striking out Reynolds to end the game.
With the win, the Owls swept their first two games of their A-Sun schedule for the first time since 2006, their first year in the conference, and it’s the first time they’ve opened up their conference season with a doubleheader sweep on the road. They are now 11-1 against UNF since both teams moved into the A-Sun in 2006, and are 34-11 against them all-time.
Swanson (2-for-5) and Hackett (2-for-4) complemented Burkett’s 4-for-5 performance in the second game, while Sikes (2-for-3) and Durant (2-for-4) both had multiple hits in the first game.
In total, Meixel pitched five innings in earning the win in the second game, striking out five and allowing one run on six hits. Henderson would give up just one unearned run, as well, striking out four.
UNF’s Cortney Radke pitched the bulk of both games for the Ospreys, going the distance in the first game and striking out eight while allowing five earned runs on five hits and tossing five and a third innings in relief in the second game, giving up just two unearned runs and striking out seven.
The Black and Gold continue their weekend on Saturday, when they visit Jacksonville for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
