Game One Box Score (PDF) | Game Two Box Score (PDF)
 
KENNESAW, Ga. – Excitement and pandemonium filled Bailey Park Saturday as the Kennesaw State softball team (9-13, 2-0 ASUN Conference) swept a doubleheader against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (15-11, 0-2 ASUN) to open the 2022 conference schedule.
 
KSU handled business in game one, taking a 6-1 victory but the dramatic finish took place in game two, where Taylor Cates capped off a three-run seventh inning for the Owls to take home a 5-3 walk-off victory.
 
GAME ONE (W, 6-1)
Jacksonville State struck early in the contest, getting out to a 1-0 first-inning lead against starter Melanie Bennett (7-6).
The Owls responded immediately in the bottom half of the first, scoring five runs including a two-run homer from Taylor Cates and an RBI double from Kiera Cooper.
Bennett proved dominant in her 10th start of the season, retiring 10 consecutive JSU hitters before the Owls added another run in the fourth courtesy of a triple from Faith Alexander.
She sat down all but two Gamecocks in the final three innings to seal the 6-1 win, her fourth straight victory and sixth of the year. The outing marked her sixth 7.0-inning complete game in 2022.

GAME ONE NOTES
>> Alexander's triple was the first by an Owl this season and fourth of her career.
>> She also extended her RBI streak to four games in the first contest against JSU Saturday.
>> Cooper recorded her second double of the 2022 season
>> After allowing three hits in the first inning, Bennett only allowed one the remaining 6.0 innings with six punchouts.

GAME TWO (W, 5-3)
The Owls opened game two on the right foot with a two-run homer from Cheyanne Sales that scored Cates and put KSU on top early, 2-0.
Starter Lindsey Kyte (0-2) kept JSU hitless through three frames until the Gamecock offense came alive with three runs on four hits in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead, the team's first since a 1-0 lead in game one.
KSU struggled to find a spark offensively the next three innings, tallying four hits but unable to cross home plate.
Down 3-2 in the top of the seventh, Bennett entered the game and only allowed one hit and posted one strikeout, keeping the deficit at one heading into the bottom half of the inning.
The first two KSU hitters flied out to begin the last inning of regulation and with the game on the line, Alexander singled and scored after a double to center from Katie Greep to even the score at three runs apiece.
With Greep on second and two outs, Cates took a 1-1 pitch into left center and cleared the fence for her second two-run blast of the day to lift the Owls to a 5-3 victory.
Bennett's 1.0 innings of relief earned her the victory, her seventh of the year and fifth consecutive victory.

GAME TWO NOTES
>> Cates' walk-off blast in the seventh was her second walk-off of the year.
>> Cates' homer was her 10th of the season, leading the team and ASUN.
>> The Owl defense got out of two bases-loaded jams in the top of the third without allowing any runs.
>> KSU softball has now won seven consecutive conference games against the state of Alabama.
>> The win marked the team's third comeback victory this season (2/25/22 vs. Georgia State and 3/5/22 vs. Kansas City).
>> Alexander (5) and Cates (4) extended their hitting streaks, the two longest active streaks on the team.
>> Greep, Cates and Sales have scored at least one run in each of the last three games.
>> Freshman Bella Galloway tallied her third double of the season.

ON DECK
The Owls go for the series sweep on Sunday, March 20 at 12:00 p.m. for game three against the Gamecocks.
Admission is free and fans can follow the action on the KSU Owl Network YouTube channel.

To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State softball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsSB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.