By: KSU Sports Information
Box Scores: Game 1 Game 2
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State Owls poured on the runs early and often on Saturday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader against the Belmont Bruins, 8-0 in five innings and 9-0 in six innings. The pair of wins clinched them a spot in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship tournament.
Coming off of a doubleheader split on Friday with Lipscomb in which their defeat was by a final of 1-0, the Owls (28-21, 12-4 A-Sun) left nothing to chance against the Bruins (11-32, 5-9 A-Sun), initially getting on the board in the first inning via a wild pitch, then separating themselves from the visitors with a three-run second that included back-to-back-back doubles by Jensen Hackett, Jessica Cross and Sharon Swanson, putting them up, 4-0.
Still leading, 4-0, in the fourth inning, Swanson would get back at it again, launching a rope over the centerfield fence for her 15
th home run of the season to lead off the frame. The Black and Gold would put the hammer down in the fifth, ending the game courtesy of the eight-run lead after five innings rule, when an error and two walks would load up the bases with nobody out for Cross, who would stroke a single up the middle to bring in a pair of runs to give her four RBI for the contest. Two batters later, with the bases loaded after a Swanson walk and just one out, Lindsay Vollmer would hit a bullet to the right centerfield fence that would have likely netted her multiple RBI had Hackett’s run not represented the eighth of the contest, ending the opener.
While the Owls were hitting in the opener, it was junior Abbey Mixon that was keeping the Bruins at bay in the pitcher’s circle. Coming off a tough-luck, 1-0, loss on Friday evening in which she struck out 11 batters, Mixon picked up right where she left off Saturday afternoon, fanning seven of the first 11batters she faced for a total of eight strikeouts in five innings while not walking a batter and allowing just two hits. She moved to 7-5 on the season and notched her third shutout and fifth complete game of the season.
The second game was much of the same for the Owls, who have now shutout Belmont in five of their last six meetings against Bruins and are now 6-0 all-time against them at Bailey Park. The first inning would see Cross, Swanson, Vollmer and Jamie Saunders all connect on singles on the way to giving the Black and Gold a 3-0 cushion.
That advantage would stay the same for several innings, as they entered the fifth inning up by that same score, when a Vollmer double would bring in Cross, who had led off the frame with an infield single.
Up, 4-0, heading into the sixth inning, the Owls would end the afternoon in much the same way they did in the first game. With Saunders and Carly Van Auken leading off the inning with singles, Natalie Rhodes would hit a single of her own to drive in Saunders and make it, 5-0. Following a Hackett walk and still with nobody out, Cross would finally put an end to things, bashing a grand slam over the centerfield wall to once again send the Owls out as winners in run-rule fashion. The home run was her eighth of the season, and the second grand slam in two days for the Owls, following Swanson’s shot with the bases loaded in the second game against Lipscomb on Friday evening.
It was Amanda Henderson that deserved the credit for keeping the Bruins off the board in the second game. The sophomore tossed her first shutout of 2012 on Saturday, striking out six while allowing just three hits over six innings of work to move to 13-7 on the season and notch her team-leading 13
th complete game of the season. Henderson, who also walked two batters, did a nice job of managing some tight situations, as Belmont had base runners in four out of six innings.
With the sweep, the Owls move to 12-4 in the Atlantic Sun Conference and for the moment in first place in the win column, pending Florida Gulf Coast’s outcome against USC Upstate on Saturday. They also nailed down a spot in the 2012 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship tournament for the third straight season, which will be held in Spartanburg, S.C., May 10-12.
On a day in which several Owls were very impressive at the plate, Cross stood out, going a combined 5-for-8 during the twin bill while notching eight RBI. She was one of six Owls to have multi-hit games on Saturday, as Swanson, Rhodes, Vollmer, Saunders, and Kaylee Williams all had two hits in a contest.
The Owls are back in action on Wednesday evening when they visit the No. -12 ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Athens at 6:30 p.m. Free, live audio will be available on KSU All Access. The Black and Gold will then wrap-up the regular season next Saturday when they host the Mercer Bears for a doubleheader on Senior Day at Bailey Park, with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. That day will also be Fan Appreciation Day, with giveaways for fans occurring throughout the twin bill.
