GAME ONE BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF) | GAME TWO BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF)
 
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Kennesaw State softball team used a combination of solid pitching and timely hits to sweep its midweek doubleheader with Furman on Wednesday (March 18) afternoon at Pepsi Softball Stadium as the Owls earned a 3-2 win in game one, before blasting the Paladins, 8-1, in game two.
 
"I am very proud of the way the kids rebounded today," said interim head coach Tory Acheson. "It was a total team effort. We played rock solid defense, got very good pitching and timely hitting. Furman is a very good team which makes getting a sweep on their field a great accomplishment. Now we get ready for another big conference weekend at North Florida."
 
Junior Hillary Kartman led the Owls (17-9) offensively and posted a .833 batting average with five hits, four RBI and two runs between the two games.
 
The Owls started off game one of the twin bill in quick fashion, taking a 1-0 lead in the opening inning on an RBI groundout from junior Megan Veringa after senior Natalie Rhodes and sophomore Lauren Bennett posted back-to-back singles to lead off the inning.
 
A Paladin throwing error from first baseman Brittany Houston in the second frame allowed sophomore Taylor Denton to score and give KSU the 2-0 edge.
 
Furman (14-10) closed within 2-1 with a score in the bottom of the second, before evening up the game at 2-2 with a two-out solo home run from Sieara Bishop in the bottom of the sixth set up some seventh inning dramatics.
 
A single to center field and a stolen base from freshman Noelle Winkles put the go ahead run on second base, before Bennett delivered a two-out RBI double to left center field to plate Winkles and put KSU up 3-2. Mathews then closed out the bottom of the frame for her second save of the season and the Owl victory.
 
 KSU totaled 10 hits and did not commit an error, while Furman notched five hits and had one error in the loss. Rhodes paced the Owl offense with a 3-of-4 performance and one run, with Bennett and Kartman each adding two hits.
 
Sophomore Logan Viers started the game and allowed just two hits and one earned run in four innings of action, before being relieved by winning junior pitcher Morgan Sikes (5-5), who gave up three hits and one earned run in 2.1 innings of work.
 
Lindsey Bert (10-4) took the game one loss for the Paladins after allowing three runs on 10 hits in a complete game effort.
 
The hot bats continued for the Owls in the second game with Veringa opening the scoring on an RBI single to center field in the first, before Kartman drilled a two-run bomb to left center to bring the KSU advantage to 3-0. It was the junior's team-leading sixth long ball of the season.
 
KSU added to its run total in the fourth with an RBI double to left center from junior Missy Perkowski, followed by another two-RBI hit from Kartman with a single to left field for the 6-0 lead.
 
Redshirt-sophomore Courtney Sutter would get in on the action in the top of the seventh and give KSU a couple more insurance runs with a two-run homer to left field to make it 8-0 in favor of the visitors.
 
The Paladins got on the board with a solo home run from Hope Smith in the bottom of the frame, but it would be too little, too late, as Mathews secured her seventh win of the season in the 8-1 victory.
 
KSU tallied 11 hits in the win, while Furman recorded eight hits and two errors. Kartman led the charge with a 3-of-4 effort with four RBI and two runs. Veringa and Perkowski also added two hits in the win.
 
Mathews (7-2) allowed just one earned run on eight hits, while striking out five in a complete game effort.
 
Alex Sappington (2-6) dropped game two after giving up six earned runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings of work.
 
The Owls will next return to league play with a trip to Jacksonville, Fla., as KSU faces off against North Florida in a three-game conference series at the UNF Softball Complex this weekend. The Owls and the Ospreys will play a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, before wrapping the series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. 
 
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.