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KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State softball team battled the elements and the ASUN's top pitcher in North Alabama's Megan Garst Friday night as the Owls seventh inning rally came up just short, falling to the Lions 3-2.
 
Both Hailey Andrews and UNA's Garst showed why they are two of the top pitchers in the conference as each pitched a complete game with Andrews recording nine strikeouts and one earned run while Garst tossed seven strikeouts without giving up an earned run.
 
How it happened: The Owls (24-23, 9-7) and Lions (19-16, 5-8) found themselves locked in a pitching duel deep into the game as neither team could break through until the sixth inning.
 
KSU had a few chances in the early innings with Maddie Roth and Christen Florence hitting a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the first and third innings, respectively, but both would end up stranded on first.  
 
The first real chance for either team came in the bottom of the fifth as Jade Lee drew a lead-off walk, advancing to second on a wild pitch before Hannah Thomason was walked as well. Florence laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third with two outs, but the Owls could not plate either one.
 
UNA finally broke the deadlock in the top of the sixth as Meleah Hargett singled through the right side to open the inning, eventually stealing second. With two outs on the board, the Lions' Veronica Westfall struck a single through the left side to score Hargett and take a 1-0 lead.
 
North Alabama added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh as Hannah Shollenberger hit a lead-off single. Shollenberger came around to score from first on the next at-bat as UNA's Danielle de Ruiter reached on an error, advancing all the way to third. She would be brought in off a single to give the Lions a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
 
The Owls looked to rally as Taylor Cates reached on an error and advanced to second to open the inning. Jessie Mullen drew a walk on the following at-bat to put two on with no outs. After a strikeout and a fly out, Roth stepped into the box and ripped a double to the center field wall to put the Owls within striking distance 3-2. Czyrklis then worked a 13-pitch at-bat to draw a walk, but a pop-up on the next at-bat ended it.
 
Notes: Maddie Roth recorded her 13th multi-hit game of the season finishing 2-of-4 at the plate … Kira Czyrklis logged her 10th multi-hit game of the season going 2-of-3, while Christen Florence rounded out KSU's hitting finishing 1-of-3 … Brea Dickey recorded her third straight game, fourth of the last five, with a stolen base … Roth's double marked her 14th of the season, she needs just three more to crack the single-season top-10 list … Hailey Andrews recorded her third straight appearance with at least five strikeouts … Andrews has not allowed more than one earned run in 10 straight appearances … Roth recorded two RBIs in the game, her eighth multiple RBI game of the year.
 
Up next: The Owls look to bounce back Saturday afternoon, closing out the series and their 2019 home slate with a doubleheader against UNA beginning at 1 p.m.