By: by Scott Lipsky
Box Scores: Game One Game Two
@Georgia Tech, Wednesday- 6 p.m. :
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STATESBORO, Ga. – The Kennesaw State Owls dropped a pair of road games on Tuesday afternoon, falling to the Georgia Southern Eagles, 4-2 and 7-2.
The Owls (20-16, 4-4 Atlantic Sun Conference), were on top for most of the first game, taking advantage of some defensive miscues by Georgia Southern (21-21, 9-3 Southern Conference) in the top half of the second inning to get on the board. Jessica Cross and Lyndsay McCurry each had singles, and Stephanie Phillips would reach first base after striking out thanks to a wild pitch and errant throw to first base. With the bases loaded and two outs, Jensen Hackett hit what seemed to be a routine ground ball to the shortstop, but the throw to first was low and skipped past the first baseman to the fence, scoring Cross and Phillips to give the Black and Gold a 2-0 advantage.
Owls pitcher Amanda Henderson would run into a jam in the bottom of the sixth inning, however, with the Owls ahead, 2-1. The freshman allowed back-to-back-back singles with one out to load the bases. The next batter, centerfielder Marie Fogle, would make it four straight singles, hitting a soft floater over third base that would score a pair to give the Eagles the lead, 3-2. During the next at-bat, Hackett was unable to hold on to a high pop up between second and third base, which allowed an insurance run to score for the Eagles.
Trailing, 4-2 in the top of the seventh with two outs and McCurry on first base, who had singled with one out, Bianca Durant stepped to the plate and hit one hard to centerfield. It looked for a moment like it may drop, but Eagles centerfield Marie Fogle made a diving catch to end the ball game.
The Owls struggled offensively in the second game, falling behind 6-0 before a Sharon Swanson home run made it 6-2 in the top of the sixth inning. The home run was the 10th of the year season for Swanson, which puts her in second place in the A-Sun.
With Cat Tarvin starting in the pitcher’s circle for the Black and Gold in the second game, the Eagles jumped out in front, 1-0, with an opposite-field home run that cleared the right field fence, and didn’t look back. They would add one more against Tarvin in the third inning before putting the game away with a four-run fifth inning against Henderson, who took over the pitching duties in the fourth inning and went the rest of the way.
Henderson had a solid performance in the opener, tossing all six innings and allowing just four runs, three earned, on eight hits, while striking out 11 batters, a career high.
McCurry was the only Owls to have multiple hits in one of the game this afternoon, going 2-for-3 in the opener.
Allie Miles, the Southern Conference’s reigning Pitcher of the Week, pitched a complete game in the opener, allowing just two unearned runs on four hits while striking out seven.
Kennesaw State is back in action again on Wednesday evening, when they visit Mewborn Field on the campus of Georgia Tech to take on the Yellow Jackets. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Black and Gold defeated Georgia Tech the first time the two teams met this season, 4-1, at Bailey Park on Feb. 23.
Live stats will be available for Wednesday’s game. Live audio and video will also be available via Georgia Tech’s athletic website, www.ramblinwreck.com. Owls fans will also be able to follow all of the action via a live blog on KSUOwls.com.
