GAME ONE BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF) | GAME TWO BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF)
 
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State softball team swept its doubleheader with Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Bailey Park, as the Owls took the first game 5-3, before earning a 4-3 victory in the day's second game.
 
"I will take two wins any time," said head coach #Wes Holly, Jr. "It was cold and not all of it was pretty, but we managed to come out on the positive side of things with two wins. This team needs more consistency, but we did have a couple of players that stepped up big today. Kara and Missy put the ball in play well and we also had a couple of big hits from Courtney among others. Amanda kept them tied down today from the circle, which was helpful in preparing her for conference play. We will line back up tomorrow and are looking forward for warmer weather to wake up our offense a little bit."
 
The Golden Eagles (0-7) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning as Chelsea Burgess score the game's first run on a home run to right center field.
 
With runners at first and third for the Owls in the bottom of the fourth, senior Bianca Durant brought home senior Sara Sikes on a ground out to short stop to even the game at 1-1.
 
An inning later, the Owls used four straight hits from freshman Taylor Denton, senior Carly Van Auken, sophomore Kara Chambers and junior Natalie Rhodes along with a TTU error to set up a big scoring inning to take a commanding 5-1 lead through five innings.
 
With two outs in the top of the seventh, TTU came within two runs on a two-run homer, but junior pitcher Paige Mathews shut down the final Golden Eagle batter to seal the 5-3 win.
 
KSU outhit the Golden Eagles 7-3 in game one, with the visitors registering two errors in the contest. Chambers led the Owls with two hits, a run and an RBI, while Durant added two RBI in the game.
 
Senior pitcher Amanda Henderson (3-1) picked up the win, giving up only one hit and one run in six innings of work while recording eight strikeouts in the outing.
 
Danielle Liberatore (0-3) took the game one loss for the Golden Eagles, who got a hit and two RBI from Madison Taylor.
 
It was the Owls who struck first in game two, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Sikes plated Chambers from third base.
 
TTU took a short-lived 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth, but KSU responded with a run in the bottom of the inning. After a double from sophomore Courtney Sutter, the Owls capitalized on a throwing error by the Golden Eagle third baseman to score Van Auken.
 
After an error and a passed ball put Chambers on third base to open the bottom of the fifth, Rhodes brought the sophomore home for the go-ahead run. Sutter then knocked in Rhodes on a single to center field for a 4-2 lead.
 
The Golden Eagles pulled within one in the top of the sixth inning on a pair of singles, but Henderson posted back-to-back swinging strikeouts to earn the 4-3 win.
 
Henderson pitched 3.2 innings to pick up her second win of the day, allowing only one run and striking out six in the effort. Mathews started the game and went 3.1 innings, allowing only four hits and two earned runs while striking out three.
 
Both teams registered eight hits in game two, with TTU again committing two errors in the contest. Sutter went 2-of-3 with an RBI for the Owls. Chambers and Rhodes each added a pair of hits, with Rhodes and Sikes each picking up an RBI.
 
Hannah Eldridge went 2-of-3 with two RBI for the Golden Eagles as Hannah Weaver (0-2) went three innings and gave up three hits and one earned run in the loss.
 
The Owls and the Golden Eagles wrap up the three-game series with a 1 p.m. ET contest on Sunday, Feb. 16 at Bailey Park.
 
Keep up with Owls softball by following KSU on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsSoftball or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook.
 
 

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