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ATLANTA, Ga. – The Kennesaw State softball team has established a couple trends at the outset of the 2016 season – winning and playing one-run games.
 
The Owls (10-2) played another one-run game Wednesday (Mar. 2) at Georgia State. Unfortunately, for Kennesaw State, it came out on the short end of 2-1 loss to the Panthers (10-7) in eight innings.
 
A two-out single by Morgan Brown in the bottom of the eighth drove in the winning run that lifted Georgia State to the win, marking the sixth one-run game played by the Owls.
 
Despite the loss, Kennesaw State made a bit of history as it equaled the best 12-game start to a season in the program's Division I era, tying the 2013 team.
 
"It was a well-played, good ballgame. Unfortunately, we came out on the wrong side," head coach Tory Acheson said. "We had several good performances, we'll learn from the experience, move on and get ready for the South Carolina tournament this weekend."
 
In a pitchers' duel, senior Emily Bishop gave Kennesaw State an early lead as she hit a double into left-center field that scored Hannah Thomasson, who entered the game as a pinch-runner after Megan Veringa opened the second inning with a single.
 
The lead held up until the sixth inning when the Panthers took advantage of a leadoff walk to push across a run against Monica Vickery.
 
Georgia State's winning rally also began with a leadoff walk, followed by a sacrifice before Brown's game-winning hit against freshman Jenna Kniss (0-1).
 
Missy Perkowski collected two of Kennesaw State's four hits.
 
Junior Logan Viers, fresh off her perfect game against Alabama A&M on Sunday (Feb. 28), started and allowed two hits and struck out two, before senior Morgan Sikes came on to pitch two innings, surrender two hits and strike out three. 
 
Kennesaw State is next in action on Friday (Mar. 4) when it faces UConn during the opening day at the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, S.C. The field also includes host South Carolina and Michigan State.
 
NOTES
* Despite the loss, Kennesaw State, 10-2, equaled the best 12-game start to a season during the Division I era. The 2013 team also began the season 10-2.
* With two hits on Wednesday, Missy Perkowski recorded her team-leading sixth multiple-hit game.
* After pitching two scoreless innings each, Morgan Sikes and Logan Viers lowered their ERAs. Sikes currently has a 1.17 ERA in 24 innings, while Viers has recorded a 1.24 ERA in 39 2/3 innings. 

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