KENNESAW STATE (22-24, 11-10) AT NO. 24/25 USC UPSTATE (39-5, 18-2)
GAMES 47-49 | APRIL 18-19, 2014
SPARTANBURG, S.C. | CYRILL SOFTBALL STADIUM
 
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO (FRIDAY ONLY) | TWITTER
 
THE GAME:
The Kennesaw State softball team returns to Atlantic Sun Conference play with its final league road trip of the season, facing USC Upstate in a three-game series on Friday and Saturday, April 18-19 at Cyrill Softball Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C. The Owls and the Spartans will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 2 p.m. ET, followed by a single game on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
THE COVERAGE:
LIVE STATS: Statistical updates will be available from KSUOwls.com.
LIVE VIDEO: Friday's doubleheader against the Spartans will be available to watch live on ESPN3.
TWITTER: Follow the Kennesaw State softball team on Twitter @KSUOwlsSB to receive updates throughout the game.
 
THE OPPONENT:
USC Upstate
The Spartans come into this weekend's series with a 39-5 overall record and ranked 24/25 in the top 25 polls. Upstate leads the A-Sun with a 18-2 record and is an undefeated 23-0 at home at Cyrill Softball Stadium. The Spartans rank first in the conference in batting average, runs scored, hits, RBI, doubles and home runs, as well as ERA, opposing batting average, wins and strikeouts.  
 
Kennesaw State leads, 34-10
Last 5 meetings    
3/31/12         UPST 1-0
3/31/12         KSU 7-2
3/29/13         UPST 10-0
3/29/13         UPST 4-3
3/30/13         UPST 7-5
 
Last Kennesaw State Win         
3/31/12, 7-2, at USC Upstate
Last USC Upstate Win                                 
3/30/13, 7-5, at Kennesaw State
 
LAST TIME OUT:
The Kennesaw State softball team dropped back-to-back contests to UAB at the UAB Softball Field on Tuesday afternoon (April15), falling 7-1 in game one and 5-1 in game two. Junior Natalie Rhodes led the way for the Owls with two hits and an RBI in game one, while senior Carly Van Auken belted a solo home run to right field for KSU's lone run in game two. It was her second homer of the season and third long ball as an Owl.
 
NEXT UP:
Kennesaw State heads down Interstate 75 for its final nonconference contest of the season with a single game against regional rival Georgia Tech on Wednesday, April 23 starting at 6 p.m. ET.
 
NEWS AND NOTES:
Offense
Senior Angie Dascoli leads the Owls and ranks sixth in the conference with a .374 batting average in overall action, while freshman Taylor Denton ranks third in A-Sun play with a .412 average. She also ranks second in the conference with 28 hits in conference action, as well as sitting in a tie for third with 19 runs scored.
 
Chambers in League Play
Sophomore Kara Chambers ranks in a tie for seventh with a .385 batting average in A-Sun play, while also ranking in a tie for third with 19 runs scored and tied for fourth with 25 hits in league games.
 
Multiple Hit Games
Denton holds a team-leading 16 games with multiple hits, 12 with two and four with three, while Dascoli, Chambers and junior Natalie Rhodes own 14 multiple hit games.
 
Stolen Bases
Denton, Chambers and Rhodes have combined for 31 stolen bases on the year, with Denton taking 11 in 15 attempts, Chambers stealing 10 in 12 tries and Rhodes earning 10 in 13 attempts.
 
Triples
Rhodes ranks in a tie for third in the A-Sun and 47th in the NCAA with three triples on the year. The junior also owns a 1.000 fielding percentage, having not committed an error in 42 games.
 
Henderson in the Circle
Senior Amanda Henderson ranks second in the A-Sun and is 29th in the nation with 168 strikeouts. She is also the conference co-leader and ranks 28th in the NCAA with 17 victories this season.
 
Owls in A-Sun Action
The Owls rank second in the A-Sun in conference play with 178 hits and are the co-leaders with four triples, while ranking third with a team batting average of .305 and 26 doubles.
 
Fielding Percentage
KSU owns the best fielding percentage in A-Sun play at .975 and the third-best fielding percentage in overall action at .965, while committing the third-lowest number of errors with 44 total errors, including a league-low 14 miscues in A-Sun play.
 
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.
 
 

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