By: by Scott Lipsky
Box Scores: Game One Game Two
@Georgia State, Wednesday, 4 p.m.:
Live Stats
KENNESAW, Ga. – After struggling offensively in the first game on Tuesday evening, the Kennesaw State Owls found their groove at the plate, scoring six runs over two innings in the second game to earn a split with the UAB Blazers, falling, 2-0, before winning, 6-0 at Bailey Park.
“I thought that all four of our pitchers threw the ball well tonight,” Owls head coach Scott Whitlock said. “It would have been good to have been able to generate some offense in the first game, but to their credit, they pitched awfully well in the opener. I’m hoping that the way we hit late in the second game will carry over to Wednesday as well as the weekend.”
Jessica Cross pitched the first two innings for the Owls (22-19, 5-7 Home) in the opener, allowing just a solo home run in the second inning as her only hit. She was replaced in the pitcher’s circle by Cat Tarvin, who allowed just one unearned run over five innings of solid work, striking out a pair and giving up just three hits.
The Black and Gold would muster just two hits in the first game, stranding a total of three runners in the ballgame against a UAB (29-11, 10-2 Away) squad who currently leads the Conference USA standings and is receiving votes in two of the three major national Top 25 polls. Cross and Jensen Hackett would record the hits against Blazers pitcher Leigh Streetman, who struck out 10 and moved to 9-4 on the season, improving her earned run average to 1.32.
The Owls were a much more imposing force offensively in the second game, but still had trouble getting runs across home plate early on. They would strand the bases loaded in the first inning and would leave base runners on in each of the first four, bringing them into the bottom of the fifth inning in a scoreless tie thanks to the sterling pitching performances of Amanda Henderson and Abbey Meixel.
It was in the fifth inning that the Owls finally unloaded, Sara Sikes hustling her way to a double to lead-off the frame before being driven home by Ashlee Burkett, who hit her second triple of the season, to make it 1-0. Cross, who had three home runs in the doubleheader at Campbell on Saturday, would provide the cushion the Owls needed, blasting a 1-0 pitch over the right center field fence off of Blazers hurler Lauren Webster to make it 3-0.
The Owls would add three more in the bottom of the sixth, taking any doubt out of the result, Sikes tripling in two to cap off a 3-for-4 game, and Sharon Swanson knocking in her A-Sun leading 41st run of the season with a bloop single over third base to make it 6-0.
Henderson tossed the first four innings and let up just two hits and struck out four while shutting out the Blazers, before turning things over to Abbey Meixel, who went the last three innings to leave the Owls defense unscathed.
Sikes was one of four Owls to have multiple hits in the second contest, being joined by Burkett and Swanson, who both went 2-for-4, and Cross, who was 2-for-2 and also walked twice.
Kennesaw State plays a road contest on Wednesday, but close by, as they visit Georgia State at Panthersville for a single game beginning at 4 p.m. Live stats will be available for the game.
