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KENNESAW, Ga. – Senior Courtney Sutter's one-out, two-run single capped a two-run bottom of the seventh inning and lifted Kennesaw State to a dramatic 9-8 come-from-behind victory over Michigan State Friday during the opening day of the Owl Challenge at Bailey Park.
 
Sutter's single into left-center field scored Taylor Denton and Hannah Thomason with the tying and winning run as the Owls (17-5) extended their winning streak to a season-high seven games.
 
Trailing 8-7 heading into the seventh, Denton opened the frame with a walk and Thomason followed with her fourth hit of the game. One out later, Katey Lynch singled to load the bases, setting the stage for Sutter, who drilled a single into left-center field to end the game.
 
The winning hit by Sutter marked the third time that the Owls came back from a deficit to either tie the score or take the lead, and represented KSU's second win its last at-bat this week. Kennesaw State rallied back from 3-0, 4-3, and 8-6 deficits.
 
Thomason led the Owls' 16-hit attack with a career-high four hits, scored two runs and had two RBIs, while Sutter had two hits and three RBIs. Olivia Tamewitz, Lynch, Chandler Griffin and Denton also had two hits apiece.
 
The big offensive output for Kennesaw State made a winner of freshman Alley Cutting (8-2), who earned the victory after pitching a complete game.
 
The Spartans (15-5) got to Cutting for a run in the first and two more in the second to take a 3-0 lead before the Owls scored twice in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to 3-2.
 
Kennesaw State tied the game 3-3 on a leadoff home run by Noelle Winkles in the third, and after falling behind 4-3 in the top of the fourth, KSU responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take its first lead at 6-4.
 
Michigan State, which totaled 13 hits in the game, answered with four runs in the fifth on a pair of two-run home runs to take an 8-6 lead.
 
The Owls moved a run closer in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Beth McCulley that scored Lynch, who was hit by a pitch to open the inning.
 
Kennesaw State is back in action on Saturday when it plays East Tennessee State at 3 p.m. and Michigan State at 5:30 p.m.
 
NOTES

• Kennesaw State's seven-game winning streak is its longest since opening the 2013 campaign 7-0, and is also its best 22-game start to a season since the 2013 team opened the year 19-3.
• Freshman Olivia Tamewitz extended her hitting streak to a team-leading nine games, while Taylor Denton has hit in seven straight.
• Sophomore Hannah Thomason's four hits against Michigan State are a career high and the most by an Owls player this season.

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