By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score
ATHENS, Ga. – The Kennesaw State fell short in their final road game of the 2012 regular season on Wednesday evening, dropping a, 9-1, contest to the No. 12-ranked Georgia Bulldogs at Jack Turner Stadium. The defeat snapped a three-game winning streak for the Black and Gold.
The Owls (28-22) fell behind early in the contest, as the hosting Bulldogs (36-13) posted five runs in the first inning against junior Abbey Mixon, including a lead-off home run by Georgia pitcher Tess Sito, who would go 4-for-5 in the contest. Sito would turn out to be the first of four straight Bulldogs to reach base to start the game, loading the bases on an error, a hit and a hit batsman before Niaja Griffin hit a double to left centerfield to score a pair of runs. She would come around to score on the next batter, when a Christine Olney double would score two more.
Mixon was replaced in the pitcher’s circle with the bases loaded and just one out in the second inning in favor of Monica Vickery, who induced a fly out to left field on her first pitch. Jensen Hackett would make the catch and then throw out Paige Wilson, who was trying to tag up from second base to third. It initially appeared that Ashley Pauly had scored on the play, but it was ultimately determined that she did not cross home plate before Wilson was thrown out at third, keeping it 5-0.
Vickery would last a total of one and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs in the third frame. Amanda Henderson would toss scoreless fourth and fifth frames, keeping the game going in the fifth with the Owls down 8-1 and the bases loaded with just one out by notching two consecutive strike outs.
Georgia would finally put an end to things in the sixth, when Olney would walk against Henderson to lead-off the frame before eventually scoring on a one-out Sito double to make it 9-1 and bring the game to a run-ruled conclusion.
The Owls scored their lone run in the top of the fourth inning, when Lindsay Vollmer, who had two of the Owls three hits on the evening, hit a two-out single that she was able to second on due to an error in right field to keep the inning going. She was replaced on the base paths by Mandi Burns, who would score on a Kaylee Williams double to make it 8-1 at the time.
The Owls conclude their 2012 regular season on
Saturday afternoon, when they host the Mercer Bears at Bailey Park for an Atlantic
Sun Conference doubleheader beginning at 2:00 pm. A sweep of the Bears would clinch at least a share of the A-
Sun regular season title for the Owls. Prior to the start of Saturday’s twin bill, the Owls will honor departing seniors Burns, Jessica Cross, Brittany Moore and Vollmer. Saturday is also Fan Appreciation Day at Bailey Park, with all fans having the chance to win Owls giveaways throughout the afternoon.
