Game One Box Score (PDF) | Game Two Box Score (PDF)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Kennesaw State softball team (4-11) fought from beginning to end but came up short in its first two games of the Razorback Rumble Friday.

The Owls fell to Missouri State (4-9) 5-4 in the early game followed by a 6-4 loss on a seventh-inning rally against the No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks (11-4).

Taylor Cates led the charge offensively, collecting four hits across the two contests.

GAME ONE (vs. Missouri State – L, 5-4)
The Owls struck early in this contest, getting out to a 1-0 lead after an RBI single from Cheyanne Sales scored Faith Alexander.
Alexander got up to bat again the very next inning and score Madison Miller from second to make it 2-0 in favor of KSU. Later in the second inning, Katie Greep hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Ty Hardeman and extend the lead to 3-0.
The Bears got on the board a couple innings later with a three-run fourth to even the score.
Taylor Cates followed the Bears' equalizer with a solo shot to left field to put KSU back in front, 4-3.
Missouri State hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to take its first lead of the game, 5-4. The late rally by the Owls did not come to pass in the heartbreaker.
Emily Perrin (1-3) pitched 6.0 innings in the second start of her KSU career, had three strikeouts and was credited with the loss.

NOTES
>> Alexander tallied the 11th multi-hit game of her KSU career and her seventh run scored in six games this season.
>> Cates and Madison Miller each extended their hitting streaks to a team-best three games in this game.

GAME TWO (at Arkansas – L, 6-4)
Much like the first game, the offense got going early after a solo homer from Cates.
The next two innings was scoreless for both teams then Arkansas would take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
The Owls responded the next inning after a double from Cates scored Mary Greg Anderson. Sales brought Cates home immediately after with a two-run line drive homer into left field to put the Owls up, 4-2.
KSU took that lead into the bottom of the seventh, where the Razorbacks hit two homers to edge past the Owls, 6-4.
Melanie Bennett (2-6) entered the game in relief and was credited with the loss.

NOTES
>> Cates extended her hitting streak to a team-best four games.
>> Sales hit her third homer of the season and is second on the team in the category.
>> Sales now has eight RBI on the season after recording 17 a season ago.
>> Alexander now has back-to-back multi-hit games and three overall in 2022.
>> Brinaya Bailey has hit safely in five of the last seven games.

ON DECK
The Razorback Rumble continues for the Owls on Saturday, March 5 with two games, the first against the University of Missouri-Kansas City Roos at 1:30 p.m. EST followed by a rematch against the No. 8 Razorbacks at 6:30 p.m. EST.
The game versus Arkansas will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
The Owls return to Bailey Park on Wednesday, March 16 for a showdown against the Auburn Tigers set for a 6:00 p.m. first pitch. Admission is free and fans can follow the action on ESPN+.
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.