By: KSU Sports Information
Box Scores: Game One Game Two
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Kennesaw State Owls used solid pitching a big-time home run from Sharon Swanson on Wednesday to split their first Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheader of the season with Florida Gulf Coast. The Owls fell, 2-0, before coming away victorious, 3-1.
The Owls (11-9, 1-1 A-Sun) did not allow an earned run on Wednesday evening behind terrific efforts from starters
Amanda Henderson and
Jessica Cross, but struggled to score runs throughout, scratching out just three hits in the first game before stranding 10 runners in the second.
After a Henderson performance in which the sophomore struck out 13 batters and gave up just two unearned runs on four hits, the Owls were trailing, 1-0 in the top of the fifth inning of the second game after having left at least two runners on base in each of the first three innings.
Carly Van Auken and Cross would then notch a pair of base hits, bringing
Sharon Swanson to the plate with nobody out. She would launch a 2-0 pitch down the left field line that would clear the fence and give Swanson her A-Sun leading ninth home run of the season and the Owls a lead they would never relinquish.
“I got a good look at the pitch and it just felt great coming off the bat,” said Swanson, who was 3-for-4 in the second game. “I’m happy we were able to all play the way we did in the second game and leave here with a split, after not being to capitalize in the opener.”
Abbey Mixon would replace Cross in the pitcher’s circle with one out and two runners on in the bottom of the sixth representing the tying runs, but the junior would dig down and induce a pop out and a strikeout to end the threat. Mixon would walk the lead-off batter in the bottom of the seventh before retiring the next batters to earn her first save of the season and a crucial conference victory for the Black and Gold.
“Leaving here 1-1 in A-Sun play is a whole lot sweeter than 0-2, that’s for sure,” Owls head coach
Scott Whitlock said of the evening, in which the Owls won their first-ever game in six tries at Florida Gulf Coast. “I’m extremely proud of our players for the way they hung in there tonight, they really had to have a lot of things go right them late in the second game, and they made it happen. Jessica and Abbey came up huge for us in that second game, but I also applaud Amanda for the effort she gave us in the opener despite the result. I’ve wanted to win one here for a long time but they’ve always had our number on their field, so this one feels good.”
Were it not for a rough second inning in the opener, a road sweep would not have been out of the question. Henderson had allowed a walk and a base hit but had two outs in the frame against the Eagles (9-13, 1-1) before a wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third, when her next pitch resulted in a passed ball that allowed FGCU’s Brittany Garabedian to score. Mariah Fernandez would then come around to score from second on the same play, when Vollmer’s throw from the backstop to Henderson, who was covering home, sailed over her head and allowed Fernandez to score.
Henderson would settle down and at one point retired 12 Eagles in a row, but Eagles freshman hurler Shelby Morgan would give the Owls fits all evening, allowing just an infield single to Cross and then one-baggers to Swanson and Hackett, while not allowing a walk. She also had a defense behind her that made several game-changing plays to help keep the Owls off the board.
Hackett and Swanson were the two Owls to have hits in both games.
It’s on to Clearwater next for the Owls, who will play five games in the USF Under Armour Showcase beginning on Friday. They will face Long Island at 4:15 p.m. on Friday before turning around and facing Fordham at 6:30. They face Syracuse and Miami of Ohio on Saturday at 4:15 and 6:30, respectively, before wrapping up against Toledo on Sunday at 11:15 a.m.
Notes
-The Owls are now just 2-8 all-time against Florida Gulf Coast, but the contests have been very close in recent years, as each of their last six meetings have been decided by two runs or less.
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Jensen Hackett and
Natalie Rhodes had some tough luck on Wednesday night. The first two times Hackett reached base, first via a base hit in the opener and then a walk in the second game, Rhodes followed her to the plate and hit hard line drives, first to second base and then to the pitcher, only for the Eagles to make great plays and double off Hackett on first to end the inning both times. They would break that trend in the sixth inning of their win, with Rhodes following a Hackett single with one of her own.
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Amanda Henderson’s 13 strikeout performance was her fourth such outing with at least 10 or more this season. She entered the evening fifth in the A-Sun in strikeouts this season.
-The Owls are now an even 7-7 in their season-opening Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheaders. They have split three times, been swept twice and have swept twice.
-The twin bill between the Owls and Eagles were the first two A-Sun softball games this season, and was scheduled this week since the Owls will already be in Florida for their tournament this weekend. The next game between A-Sun opponents won’t be until Mar. 26 when North Florida and Stetson square off. The Owls do not play another A-Sun contest until they visit East Tennessee State for a doubleheader on Mar. 30.
