GAME ONE BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF) | GAME TWO BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF)
 
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State softball team split its Atlantic Sun Conference doubleheader with Jacksonville on a sunny, but chilly Saturday (March 28) afternoon at Bailey Park as the Owls fell in game one, 3-1, before rebounding to take a 7-6 victory in game two.
 
"I am very proud of the way the kids fought back in game two to get the split today," said interim head coach Tory Acheson." We know we need to come out and play a little bit sharper in all phases tomorrow to take care of business, but getting the win in game two today gives us an opportunity to come back tomorrow and still win the series. We are going to come out tomorrow and take our best shot. Today was just two very hard-fought games, we won one and lost one and so tomorrow we will see if we can settle the series."
 
The Owls move to 22-12 on the season and 3-5 in the A-Sun, while the Dolphins are now 19-17 and 2-3 in conference play.
 
Junior Missy Perkowski led the KSU attack as she registered a .800 batting average after going 4-of-5 with two RBI on the day, while junior Hillary Kartman totaled three RBI, two hits and two runs for the Owls.
 
KSU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the day's first game as junior Emily Bishop and redshirt-sophomore Courtney Sutter started off the second inning with back-to-back singles, before Bishop was plated on a Perkowski sacrifice fly.
 
The Owls held its 1-0 advantage until the fifth frame when the Dolphins rallied to score a pair of runs on three hits, including an RBI triple down the right field line, followed by an RBI single to right field.
 
JU added an insurance run on a solo home run to left field in the sixth inning and held on for the win as the Owls could not put together a rally in the seventh.
 
KSU recorded six hits, but left eights runners on the bases, while the Dolphins had nine hits in the contest.
 
Senior starter Paige Mathews (9-3) took the loss after allowing three earned runs on seven hits and struck out five in five and a third innings of work. Junior Morgan Sikes entered in relief in the sixth and gave up just two hits in an inning and two-thirds of action.
 
Victoria Brown (13-11) earned the win after giving up just one earned run on six hits in a complete game effort.
 
Unlike the pitcher's duel in game one, the day's second game was a back-and-forth thriller that saw six lead changes and three ties over six and a half innings.
 
It was a quick start with both teams scoring four runs in the first two innings. JU then grabbed a 5-4 edge after a KSU throwing error in the fourth frame.
 
The Owls wasted no time in answering in the bottom half of the inning as senior Natalie Rhodes reached after being hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a Perkowski single up the middle. Sutter then brought the senior home on a sacrifice fly to left field to even the score at 5-5.
 
Both teams traded home runs in the fifth with Kartman drilling her team-leading eighth long ball of the season to centerfield to lead-off the bottom half of the frame.
 
KSU then took the final lead of the game in the sixth as Rhodes doubled down the left field line, before being plated by a Perkowski single to through the right side. The Owl defense and Mathews then closed out the victory in the top of the seventh.
 
KSU posted 11 hits and an error in the victory, while JU tallied 12 hits and three errors in the loss. Perkowski led the Owls with a 4-of-4 performance with an RBI and a run, with Kartman adding a 2-of-3 effort with three RBI and two runs.
 
Mathews earned the win after allowing just one hit in two innings of relief work. Sophomore Logan Viers started the game and went two innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits, before Sikes entered and gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits in three innings.
 
Brown took the loss for the Dolphins after allowing three earned runs on five hits in four and two-thirds innings.
 
The Owls will go for the series win in the rubber match on Sunday (March 29) at 1 p.m. ET in Bailey Park.
 
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