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KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State softball team dropped a 7-3 decision to Georgia State on Tuesday, March 2 at Bailey Park.
The Panthers (22-11) opened the scoring with three runs in the third inning to take an early lead over the Owls (23-11). With two runners on and two outs in the inning GSU posted back-to-back hits, including a two-run triple to centerfield from Callie Alford.
Georgia State added to its lead in the fifth inning, plating four runs on four hits and an Owl error. After loading the bases, GSU’s Ashley Christy singled to right field and advanced to third base on a fielding error from junior right fielder
Bianca Durant (Douglasville, Ga./Chapel Hill HS), scoring three runs on the play. The Panthers took a 7-0 lead a batter later as Audrey Mason singled to centerfield to bring home Christy.
Kennesaw State rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the fifth to move the score to 7-3. Sophomore
Natalie Rhodes (Canton, Ga./Cherokee HS) provided a single to right field with the bases loaded to tally the Owls’ first run of the night. Junior
Sara Sikes (Douglasville, Ga./Georgia) then delivered a two-RBI sacrifice fly to deep centerfield to plate two runs, but Rhodes was caught out at first base on the play to end the inning.
The Owls put the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but was unable to push across any runs.
KSU registered six hits to GSU’s eight in the contest, with both teams committing two errors. Sikes led the Owls with a pair of RBI and a hit, while junior
Carly Van Auken (Largo, Fla./State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota) and freshman
Kara Chambers (Kennesaw, Ga./Allatoona HS) each contributed a hit and a run.
Senior started
Abbey Mixon (Canton,Ga./Cherokee HS) pitched four innings, giving up six hits and five earned runs to take the loss and move to 8-7 on the season. Sophomore
Monica Vickery (Rossville, Ga./Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe HS) entered in the fifth inning, giving up two hits and one earned run in three innings of work. Mixon posted five strikeouts in the game, while Vickery totaled three.
Kaitlyn Medlam (11-4) earned the win for the Panthers, who got two hits, two runs and an RBI from Jessica Clifton.
Kennesaw State next travels to Jacksonville, Fla., for a three-game series against North Florida on Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7. The Owls and the Ospreys will play a doubleheader on Saturday, followed by a single game on Sunday. First pitch for both days is set for 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.
