Games 32 & 33: Kennesaw State (20-11) at Troy (21-10)
Date:  March 29, 2016
Location: Troy, Ala. | Troy Softball Complex
Series Record: Kennesaw State leads series, 6-3
Last Meeting: 2015, Kennesaw State won, 4-0, 3-1, in Kennesaw, Ga.
Links: Live Stats | Watch | Twitter | KSU Stats (PDF)
 
ON DECK
Following an Atlantic Sun Conference series win against Stetson over the weekend, Kennesaw State will play a pair of non-conference midweek games when it travels to Alabama to take on Troy in a doubleheader Tuesday (Mar. 29) beginning at 4 p.m. (ET).
 
The Owls (20-11, 4-2) are coming off a second straight series win after capturing the first two games of their weekend series against the Hatters at Bailey Park, and currently sit atop the A-Sun Conference standings, one game ahead of USC Upstate, Stetson and Lipscomb.
 
Kennesaw State enters the week having won five of its last six games and is 6-4 in its last 10 games.
 
ABOUT TROY
Troy is 21-10 on the season and 4-5 Sun Belt Conference play. The Trojans are coming off a weekend sweep at the hands of Louisiana Lafayette after losing the three home games by scores of 11-0, 8-1 and 9-0. Troy has a collective batting average of .308 and has three players batting .300 or better. Senior infielder Kate Benton tops the club with .485 average, while Hannah Day is batting .386 with team-leading totals of 13 home runs and 48 RBIs. The Trojans have a 4.46 team ERA with Ashley Rainey leading the team in the circle with an 11-8 record and 3.91 ERA.
 
THE SERIES VERSUS TROY
Tuesday's contest between Kennesaw State and Troy will mark the 10th and 11th meetings between the two programs with the Owls leading the all-time series, 6-3. The two teams last met in 2015 and Kennesaw State captured both games of a doubleheader at Bailey Park by scores of 4-0 and 3-1.
 
WEEK IN REVIEW
After posting a dramatic 6-4 come-from-behind win over Samford on March 2, Kennesaw State carried that momentum into the weekend as it took two of three from Atlantic Sun Conference rival Stetson. The Owls won both games of a doubleheader on Friday (Mar. 25), winning by scores of 4-1 and 8-0. The Hatters salvaged the series finale by a 9-3 score.
 
DENTON HAS BIG WEEK
Junior Taylor Denton was an offensive catalyst and played sparkling defense while helping the Owls to a 3-1 record last week. In four games, Denton batted .462 (6-for-13) with four runs scored, a double, two RBIs and was 4-for-4 in stolen bases while hitting in the two-spot in the batting order. In a three-game series against Stetson, Denton went 4-for-9 (.444) with three runs scored, two walks, and had three stolen bases while posting a .545 on-base percentage and .556 slugging percentage. The Owls' junior was in the middle of a seventh-inning winning rally at Samford as she doubled home the tying run and scored the winning run in a 6-4 come-from-behind victory. Denton hit safely in all four games to extend her season-high hitting streak to a career-high tying eight games. Denton recorded three assists and made a nice diving catch in right field during the series opener versus Stetson.
 
NOTES
* Kennesaw State continues to be one of top base stealing teams in the country as it ranks fourth nationally, averaging 2.93 stolen bases per game. Missouri leads the nation with 3.37 steals per game.
* The Owls have already established a single-season school record for stolen bases. Through 31 games, Kennesaw State has totaled 96 stolen bases in 108 attempts. The previous was record was 74 accomplished in 90 attempts in 2015.
* Senior Kara Chambers and junior Taylor Denton have led the running game while establishing single-season career-highs. Chambers is 22-for-23, while Denton is 20-for-21. The duo also ranks second and third, respectively, on Kennesaw State's all-time career charts with 52 and 50, respectively. Jennifer Hunt (2003-06) is KSU's career leader with 60.
* The Owls are 10-1 when scoring in the first inning and 16-4 when scoring first.
* Junior Taylor Denton extended her hitting streak to a team and career-high eight games.
* Junior catcher Courtney Sutter, who leads the Owls with a team-high seven home runs and 23 RBIs, has reached base in eight straight games.
* Sutter, who as 20 career home runs, ranks second on KSU's all-time career home run list and is one shy of tying Shannon Ross (1996-99) for ninth place.
*Senior first baseman Megan Veringa has 97 career RBIs and is three shy of 100 for her career.
* Junior Logan Viers and senior Morgan Sikes have established single-season career-highs for strikeouts. Viers has struck out 71 batters while Sikes has fanned 44.
* Sikes and Viers currently rank second and third, respectively, in the A-Sun Conference in ERA. Sikes has posted a 1.65 ERA while Viers has a 1.70 ERA. Florida Gulf Coast's Riely Randolph leads the conference with a 1.49 ERA.

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