By: KSU Sports Information
Box Scores: Marshall
Charleston Southern
College of Charleston Classic- Live Stats
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – The Kennesaw State Owls used a pair of big innings on Friday to take their first two games in the College of Charleston Classic, defeating the Marshall Thundering Herd, 4-3, before edging the Charleston Southern Bucs, 4-2. The Black and Gold are now 5-0 to start the 2012 campaign.
In each contest on Friday afternoon, the Owls (5-0) put up three-run frames to propel them to victory, first breaking a, 1-1, tie with Marshall (4-3) in the bottom of the third inning, when, with two outs and Jensen Hackett on third base, Jessica Cross hit a ball to third base that misplayed, allowing Hackett to score the go-ahead run and keeping the inning alive. Junior Sharon Swanson would immediately make the Thundering Herd pay, lifting her second home run of the young season over the left field fence, giving the Black and Gold a, 4-1, advantage.
That would be all of the run support the Owls would need in the opener. Marshall would get two back off of Cross in the top half of the fourth inning, but as she did in the season-opener against Mercer, Amanda Henderson would come in in relief and shut the door, tossing three-shutout innings to keep the Owls in front. On her way to earning her first career save, Henderson would allow one hit whole striking out five and retiring nine out of the 10 batters she faced.
As was the case in Friday’s opener, the Owls did not trail in their second day of the game, either, breaking a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning when Swanson connected on yet another round-tripper, this one to left-center field, her third of the season.
Scott Whitlock’s club would widen the gap between themselves and the Bucs (4-1) two innings later, when Carly Van Auken started a rally in the top of the sixth by leading off with her second hit of the day, and was followed to the plate by Cross and Swanson, who doubled and walked, respectively to load the bases with nobody out. Kaylee Williams would drive in the first run of the frame two batters later with a one-out, bases-loaded walk, and was followed by Lindsay Vollmer, who doubled to drive in a pair of runs and make it a, 4-0, game.
All the while, Owls junior pitcher Abbey Mixon was dealing, mowing down the Bucs through her first six innings of shutting work, allowing just one hit and striking out five. She ran into a little bit of trouble in the seventh, allowing a hit and a walk before giving way to Henderson, who would allow the two inherited to score before stranding a runner and giving the Owls their first 5-0 start to a season since 2008.
Cross and Mixon both moved to 2-0 on the season with their respective victories, shutting down the opposition while the Owls offense, who came up big when it mattered offensively despite recording just 12 hits on the day, generated the runs needed to come away victorious.
The Black and Gold have an early start to Saturday, as they take on the hosts of the event, the College of Charleston Cougars, at 10:00 a.m. in what will amount to their first true road game of the season. They come right back onto the field at Noon to face Morehead State. Sunday’s 10:00 a.m. game vs. Akron will wrap-up their participation in the event.
