By: by Jason Hanes
Game One Box |
Game Two Box |
Senior Day Photo Gallery
KENNESAW, Ga. - A no-hitter by Jessica Cross in game one and a walk-off infield single by Morgan Chapman in game two propelled the Kennesaw State softball team to a sweep of East Tennessee State, 8-0 (6) and 7-6, Saturday afternoon at Bailey Park in Atlantic Sun Conference action.
"In game one, Jessica was just so dominant that we would have won that game if we had just scored half of a run," said KSU head coach Scott Whitlock. "In game two, I thought we just showed a lot of fight and a lot of resiliency to win that game. The last two seasons, we would have probably lost that game, but this team this season has learned how to win these close games."
Cross would allow a leadoff walk in the third inning to Nicole Fox to account for ETSU's only base runner of the contest. In the bottom of the inning, the Owls (26-19, 8-5) would start going to work offensively. After a leadoff walk to Jensen Hackett, Sara Sikes singled to the fence in right, scoring Hackett with the first run of the contest. Two batters later, a three-run blast down the line in left by Sharon Swanson landed well over 250-feet away from home plate, giving KSU a, 4-0, advantage. Two batter later, a drive over the fence in left by Brittany Moore pushed KSU's lead to five.
The score stayed the same until the sixth inning. With two outs and Stephanie Phillips on second, a single into right by Sikes scored Phillips and completed a perfect 4-for-4 game at the dish for the sophomore from Douglasville, Ga., putting KSU ahead 6-0. Ashlee Burkett would close the game out for the Owls in style, connecting on a fly ball that just flew over the foul pole down the left field line for a two-run homer, giving KSU the win via the run rule, 8-0.
But while Sikes and Swanson (3-for-3) had perfect games at bat, it was Cross who nearly had perfection in the circle, needing only 51 pitches to retire ETSU's batters. "Even for all her power, Jessica is not a strikeout pitcher," said coach Whitlock. "She is a ground ball pitcher more than anything. For her to get a no-hitter needing using less than 60 pitches in the process shows just how dominant she was."
"I was a little bit wild yesterday, so I wanted to come back and pitch better today," said Cross.
While game one was devoid of drama, game two was full of it. ETSU (14-28, 3-13) jumped on the board in the first with an unearned run. KSU would answer with an unearned run in the third. With Burkett on second and no one out, Cross lifted a deep fly ball to right that was handled easily for the first out; however, the throw back to the infield by Mikayla Treadway bounced away from ETSU shortstop Sam Lower, allowing Burkett to score the tying run.
ETSU would answer back in the fourth inning with a pair of runs, including one unearned marker, to go ahead, 3-1. One inning later, the Owls took the lead for the first time in the contest. With the bases full of Owls, a double into right center by Bianca Durant scored Sikes and Burkett to tie the score, 3-3. Swanson would be thrown out at the plate to keep the score temporarily tied. One batter later, a bouncer up the middle by Moore snuck through into center to plate Durant and put KSU ahead, 4-3.
The Bucs would battle back with two runs of their own in the sixth inning to take the lead, 5-4, thanks to a two-run homerun by Katie Henderson. The Owls would knot the score in the bottom of the inning thanks to a costly ETSU error. Hackett singled to right, but Treadway would have the ball bounce under her glove as she charged to make a play. Hackett would use her speed and motor all the way around the bases on the three-base error, tying the score, 5-5.
Cross would enter to pitch the seventh for the Owls, and while ETSU was held hitless in game one, the Bucs were able to get a two-out single by Whitley Hensley in the second contest, scoring Sadé Johnson with the go-ahead run to make the score 6-5.
Cross would atone for the hit allowed by starting the bottom of the inning with a double to left center. Two batters later, Durant came up with her second clutch hit of the game, singling to right center to push Cross home with the tying run. Three batters later, with Moore on second and Phillips on first, Chapman stepped in with two batters out and a chance to be a hero. The sophomore from Dahlonega, Ga., grounded a ball up the middle that was speared on a diving stop by Lower at shortstop. Lower flipped the ball to second to try and get Phillips, but Phillips slid into the bag just in time to beat the throw. Meanwhile, Moore never stopped running and with a bit of confusion on the part of ETSU waiting for the call at second, Moore motored home with the game-winning run.
"I knew I was going to be running all the way on the play," said Moore. "It just felt good to help my team get two wins."
Cross (12-6) allowed a run on a hit and a walk in one inning of work but still managed to pick up her second win of the day. The Black and Gold had 10 hits in the second game, with Burkett, Cross, Durant and Moore each getting two.
The no-hitter was the 36th no-no in Owls history, the sixth one tossed at the NCAA Division I level. The last time an Owl pulled off the feat was on Mar. 7, 2008, when Brittany Matthews tossed a perfect game against Quinnipiac at the Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater, Fla., her second of two no-hitters that season. The last time an Owl threw a no-hitter at Bailey Park was on Apr. 6, 2007, when Matthews also pulled off the feat, against Stetson.
The day was also special for the Owls as the team honored lone senior Lyndsay McCurry prior to the start of action. "I'm very glad we were able to get a pair of wins today for our senior," coach Whitlock said.
The Owls are not quite through with the home schedule as of yet as the team will return to Bailey Park Sunday at 1 p.m. for the completion of their suspended game with USC Upstate. The teams will pick up action in the top of the eighth inning with one out, a runner on second and the score tied, 4-4. Admission to Bailey Park is free for all patrons.
