By: By Libby Knight
GAME ONE BOX SCORE (XML) | GAME ONE BOX SCORE (PDF) | GAME TWO (XML) | GAME TWO BOX SCORE (PDF)
KENNESAW, Ga. – Sophomore designated hitter
Courtney Sutter blasted a pair of home runs to send the Kennesaw State softball team to a 3-1 win over Furman as the Owls split its doubleheader with the Paladins on a windy Wednesday afternoon (March 12) at Bailey Park. KSU fell 5-3 earlier in the day in game one of the doubleheader.
Sutter put the Owls (12-11) on the board first in the day's second game as she slammed her second home run of the year to right field in the bottom of the second inning. The Marietta, Ga., native then added a two-run homer to left center to push the KSU lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning. Senior catcher
Angie Dascoli singled up the middle before being brought home on Sutter's long ball.
The Paladins (12-11) pushed a run across in the top of the sixth, but would not get closer than 3-1 as starting senior pitcher
Amanda Henderson (11-4) re-entered the game in the top of the seventh and shut down Furman to earn her 11th win of the season.
Henderson pitched the first four innings of the contest, before being relieved by junior
Paige Mathews and sophomore
Morgan Sikes. Henderson did not allow a run, while only giving up three hits and striking out nine Paladins in five innings of work.
The Owls posted eight hits and one error in the win, while the Paladins notched four hits in the loss. Along with Sutter's big day, Dascoli and sophomore
Megan Veringa each registered two hits.
Lauren Collier (7-5) took the loss for Furman.
In game one of the doubleheader, the Paladins jumped out to a 4-0 lead through the first three innings of the game, before the Owls cut the margin to 4-2 as junior
Natalie Rhodes tripled to right center to plate freshman
Taylor Denton. Rhodes was then brought home on a sacrifice fly to centerfield from senior
Sara Sikes.
Furman added a run in the top of the seventh to enter the bottom of the inning with a 5-2 edge. Sikes posted a two-out RBI single up the middle to cut the lead to 5-3, but the Owl rally would fall short as the Paladins went on for the 5-3 win.
KSU recorded 11 hits and three errors in the setback, with Rhodes, Sutter, Denton and sophomore
Missy Perkowski each posting two hits in the contest.
Mathews (0-4) took the loss for the Owls, pitching one and two-thirds inning and giving up three runs and three hits. Sikes entered the game in the second and allowed seven hits and two runs in five and a third innings of relief.
Alex Sappington (2-1) earned the win for the Paladins, who got two RBIs from Hannah Pace.
The Owls will next head north for their first road trip of the Atlantic Sun conference season as they face Northern Kentucky in a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday, March 15-16 in Highland Heights, Ky. KSU and NKU will play a doubleheader on Saturday, followed by a single game on Sunday, with a 12 p.m. start time for both days.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State softball news follow the team on Twitter
@KSUOwlNation and @
KSUOwlsSoftball or by liking Kennesaw State University on
Facebook.
Season tickets are on sale for the entire home slate at $39, with single game tickets available for $6 for adults and $4 for youth (ages 3-12). To order season tickets contact the KSU Athletics Ticket Office at 770-423-OWLS (6957) or click HERE.
Lexi's Day tickets are now available for $10, click HERE to purchase tickets.
- #GoKSUOwls -
