By: By Libby Knight
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KENNESAW, Ga. – It was a special night for the Kennesaw State softball team as the Owls celebrated Lexi's Day 2014 with an impressive 8-3 win over Atlantic Coast Conference foe Georgia Tech on Wednesday night (March 16) at Bailey Park.
With the win, the Owls improve to 17-15 on the season, while GT falls to 19-11 in 2014.
An Owls softball tradition, Lexi's Day is an event to raise funds and awareness for the Alexis Kaiser Foundation, which was established to help Alexis Kaiser and other children with exceptional needs. The event, which included a pre-game meal provided by the Marietta Fish Market and a specially-made bike presentation to another child with exceptional needs, raised over $4,000 for the foundation.
After three scoreless innings to open the game, the Owls broke the tie in a big way in the bottom of the fourth inning as KSU batted around to plate seven runs on six hits and two GT miscues. Senior
Angie Dascoli started things off for KSU with a single to second as five of the first six Owl batters reached base, including three-straight hits from sophomore
Missy Perkowski, senior
Carly Van Auken and junior
Natalie Rhodes.
A two-run Yellow Jacket error then allowed senior
Sara Sikes to reach base and prolonged the inning for Dascoli, who again delivered in the inning with a two-out, two-RBI single up the middle to score Sikes and freshman
Taylor Denton. Following the second Tech error in the frame, the Owls tacked on one more run for the 7-0 lead.
GT found its way on the scoreboard in the fifth on a pair of Owl errors and an RBI-single up the middle, but the Owls responded with an insurance run in the sixth on a single through the right side for sophomore
Kara Chambers.
The Yellow Jackets added a run in the top of the seventh, but it was too little, too late as the Owls won their second-straight game against Tech, 8-3.
Dascoli led the way for the Owls with a 3-of-3 performance plus two RBI. Denton and Chambers each added a pair of hits for KSU, who outhit Georgia Tech 12 to three on the day.
Senior pitcher
Amanda Henderson (14-6) earned the win with three and a third innings of relief work, giving up two earned runs on two hits and striking out seven. Junior
Paige Mathews started the contest and allowed only one hit in three and two thirds innings.
Kylie Kleinschmidt (12-6) took the loss for the Yellow Jackets, who got a 3-of-3 performance plus two RBI from Kanani Cabrales.
The Owls next open an eight-game road trip when they travel to Jacksonville, Fla., for a three-game conference series against Jacksonville on Saturday, March 29 with a doubleheader, followed by a single game on Sunday, March 30. Start time for both days is set for 1 p.m. ET.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State softball news follow the team on Twitter
@KSUOwlNation and @
KSUOwlsSB 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.
- #GoKSUOwls -
