GAME ONE BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF) |
GAME TWO BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF) |
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KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State softball team started Atlantic Sun Conference play off with a bang with a pair of wins over Mercer on Wednesday, March 13 at Bailey Park. The Owls opened the doubleheader with a 3-0 win in game one, before posting its eighth one-run victory of the season, a 2-1 result in game two.
“You are never going to be dissatisfied with two conference wins,” said Head Coach
Scott Whitlock. “I thought we pitched very well today, we played solid defense and we got timely hits. Swanson had some big knocks and that last inning Bianca came up there and really set the table for us.”
Kennesaw State moves to 18-3 on the season and 2-0 in conference action, while Mercer falls to 14-14 and 3-2 in league play.
Senior
Sharon Swanson (Canton, Ga./Cherokee HS) continued her tear at the plate, knocking a two-run home run to right field after a single from freshman
Missy Perkowski (Woodstock, Ga./Sequoyah HS) to put the Owls ahead 2-0 in the fourth inning of game one. It was her fifth long ball of the season.
KSU added an insurance run in the fifth frame as junior
Sara Sikes (Douglasville, Ga./Georgia) singled up the middle to bring home freshman pinch-runner
Kara Chambers (Kennesaw, Ga./Allatoona HS) from second base.
Junior pitcher
Amanda Henderson (Covington, Ga./Eastside HS) continued her dominance in the circle, throwing her eighth complete game and fourth shutout of the season to move her record to 10-0. She allowed only three hits, while striking out eight batters in the win.
The Owls outhit the Bears eight to three, with MU committing one error. Perkowski led KSU with two hits, while Swanson notched two RBI.
Kerri Nidiffer (7-8) took the game one loss for the Bears.
In game two Mercer took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Marissa Botz singled to left center to plate Randi Rea from second base.
The MU lead would not last long as Swanson smacked her second home run of the day and sixth of the season as the first batter up in the fourth inning to even the score at 1-1.
The game remained tied at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Junior
Bianca Durant (Douglasville, Ga./Chapel Hill HS) provided a clutch double to centerfield to set the Owls up for the game-winning run. After senior
Jamie Saunders (Fayetteville, Ga./Georgia Perimeter College) was walked, junior
Stephanie Phillips (Marietta, Ga/Sprayberry HS) provided a big single up the middle to load the bases for Sikes. The junior then delivered a walk-off single to center field, scoring Durant from third base to earn KSU’s 18th victory of the season.
Senior
Abbey Mixon (Canton, Ga./Cherokee HS) pitched her fifth complete game to move to 7-2 this year. She only allowed four hits and one earned run, while posting five strikeouts in the contest.
Kennesaw State had six hits in the outing, with Sikes and Swanson each recording an RBI.
Stephanie Rice (7-5) suffered the defeat for Mercer.
The Owls next travel to Nashville, Tenn., to face Lipscomb in their first conference road series on Saturday and Sunday, March 16-17. KSU and LU will first play a doubleheader on Saturday, followed by a single game on Sunday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. (ET) for both days.
Keep up with Owls softball this year by following KSU on Twitter at @
KSUOwlsSoftball and @
KSUOwlNation or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on
Facebook.
Kennesaw State is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
