By: KSU Sports Information
Box Scores: Game 1 Game 2
Saturday: Listen Watch Live Stats
KENNESAW, Ga. – The bats were out in full force on Friday evening, as the Kennesaw State Owls used several big innings and some stellar defense to sweep the North Florida Ospreys, 7-4 and 12-4, in an Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheader at Bailey Park.
The Owls (21-18, 6-2 A-Sun) had 13 hits in each game, and scored three or more runs in four different innings. They trailed North Florida (22-17, 4-4 A-Sun) after allowing one run in the top of the first inning of the opener, but answered with two runs in the bottom of the second and did not have to come from behind at any point during the rest of the evening.
“I was really proud of the effort our players put forth tonight, they really hit well, but they were also extremely solid defensively,” Owls head coach Scott Whitlock commented. “So many of our players hit well tonight, it would be unfair to single any of them out, it was certainly a group effort in every respect. I’m hopeful we can carry that through to tomorrow afternoon against Jacksonville.”
There certainly was more than one major contributor on the evening, but it would be hard to argue that Kaylee Williams was the one who stood out the most. The freshman, who was 7-for-12 in five games last week, immediately put the Owls out in front in the opener when given the opportunity, hitting a one-out single to drive in the Owls first run of the game and tie things up. She was at it again in the very next inning, when, for the second straight time, Sharon Swanson and Bianca Durant reached base in front of her. Williams would lace a single down the right field line, this time with two outs, to put the Black and Gold back out in front, 4-2.
Williams was right in the middle of the Owls hit parade once again in the fifth inning, stepping to the plate with two on and one out and crushing a ball to the gap that would once again drive in Swanson and Durant and give the Kennesaw Mountain High School product her first career-triple and a career-high five RBI for the contest.
Williams’ clutch-hitting to go along with an RBI single by Carly Van Auken and bases loaded walk in the second by Natalie Rhodes would be enough run support for the trio of Abbey Mixon, Jessica Cross and Amanda Henderson, who allowed a total of 12 hits to the Ospreys while striking out eight. Cross earned the win with two and two-thirds innings of relief work in place of Mixon, who allowed two earned runs in three innings. Amanda Henderson picked up her A-Sun leading fourth save on the strength of 1.1 shutout innings.
It was also excellent defense that helped the Owls win the opener. North Florida was in position to score more than one in the first inning, when a Lauren Pollack single with two on and one out sent Kaley Brosky around third towards home, but an on the money throw from Jensen Hackett in left field would cut her down at the plate. Williams would flash some leather in the field, as well, made two incredible diving stops at second base with runners on second and third in the fifth inning with the game tied at four. Her web gem-worthy plays would keep both runners from scoring and set the Owls up for their big bottom of the fifth that would seal the opener.
The rout was on from the get go in the second game, with the Owls taking a quick, 1-0 in the first inning on a Jessica Cross single that scored Natalie Rhodes, part of a 3-for-3 game for the senior. They would increase their lead to 4-0 in the third inning, when Williams hit yet another bases clearing triple, this time with the bases loaded to give her a total of eight RBI for the twin bill. An RBI double by Cross to go along with an run-scoring single by Bianca Durant would make it 7-0 after four innings, before UNF would make one last stand in the top of the fifth.
Henderson had the Ospreys under her complete control through the first four frames, allowing just four hits and striking out seven in that frame. She would walk a pair as well as allow a single early in the fifth inning, however, setting up a, Richelle Raley bases-loaded double that would make it a, 7-3, contest. Mixon would take her spot in the circle with two outs in the inning, and allow the inherited runner to score before getting the Owls to the bottom of the fifth leading it, 7-4.
The Owls would take advantage of some shoddy defense and clutch hitting to close things out in the sixth. Cross would walk to lead off the inning before Swanson and Durant would reach on consecutive Osprey errors to load up the bases. After two Owls went down on strikes, Jamie Saunders would chop a single up the middle to drive in Cross and Swanson. Van Auken would then draw a walk to load up the bases with two outs for Rhodes, who hit a blooper to left field that just bounced under the glove of the diving Brosky, the ball rolling into foul territory and clearing the bases to end the contest.
Durant had the most hits of any Owl on the evening, going 5-for-8 while driving in a run and scoring three times. She joined Cross, Williams and Swanson as Owls who had three-hit games on Friday evening.
Henderson earned the win in the second game to move to 9-6 on the season.
With the sweep, the Owls move into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings through the end of play Friday. Mercer entered the day at the top with a 3-1 mark but split with Jacksonville on Friday evening.
The Owls are back in action on Saturday afternoon, hosting Jacksonville for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. Admission will be free for everyone. Coverage will be available on KSU All Access (audio) via
www.KSUOwls.com/Showcase, while live video-streaming will be available on ASun.tv.
