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MACON, Ga. – The Kennesaw State softball team dropped only its fifth game of the season as the Owls fell to Mercer, 4-2, on Wednesday night at Sikes Field in the final game of the regular season series between the two schools.
KSU moves to 20-5 on the season and 4-2 in the Atlantic Sun Conference, while Mercer improves to 18-14 and 7-2 in the league.
The Bears opened the game with a pair of runs in the first inning on a two-run single up the middle from Krista Kennedy.
KSU answered in the third on sacrifice fly to right field from senior
Sharon Swanson (Canton, Ga./Cherokee HS) to plate junior
Carly Van Auken (Largo, Fla./State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota) from third. It was Swanson’s team-leading 20th RBI of the season.
Mercer extended its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth on three-straight hits in the inning, highlighted by a RBI double to left center from Randi Rea.
Junior
Angie Dascoli (West Melbourne, Fla./State College of Florida) added a run in the fifth on a single to right field to score junior
Sara Sikes (Douglasville, Ga./Georgia), but the Owls would not get any closer as the Mercer defense kept Kennesaw State at bay for the remainder of the game.
Junior
Amanda Henderson (Covington, Ga./Eastside HS) took the loss for the Owls. It was the first loss of the season for Henderson, who gave up three hits and one earned run in two innings of work. Senior
Abbey Mixon (Canton, Ga./Cherokee HS) entered the contest in the third inning for Henderson and went four innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs while recording three strikeouts.
KSU posted six hits to Mercer’s eight, with the Bears committing one error in the contest. Sikes led the Owls with a three-for-four performance, a run and a stolen base.
Julia Rice (10-5) earned the win for MU, who got a 3-for-3 effort from McKenzie Woody.
Kennesaw State returns to Bailey Park on Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24, for a three-game series against league newcomer Northern Kentucky. The Owls and the Norse are set for a doubleheader on Saturday, followed by a single game on Sunday. First pitch for both days is 1 p.m. (ET).
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.
