Game One Box Score (PDF) | Game Two Box Score (PDF)
KENNESAW, Ga. – Another dominant performance from pitcher
Melanie Bennett (10-13) led the Owls to victory in a doubleheader sweep of divisional foe FGCU Saturday afternoon.
The Black and Gold took game one by a final of 3-1 and followed that with a 10-hit outing in game two with a 4-2 victory.
Bennett pitched 8.1 innings between the two games, allowing only four hits and one earned run.
GAME ONE (W, 3-1)
A back-and-forth pitching duel started game one, with both teams only tallying one hit each through the first four frames.
FGCU plated the game's first run in the top of the fifth off a solo homer, taking a 1-0 lead.
Back-to-back singles in the bottom half of the inning by freshman
Ty Hardeman and
Faith Alexander lit the spark for the offense.
Taylor Cates walked two batters later to load the bases for
Brinaya Bailey.
Bailey scored Hardeman and Alexander on a two-RBI single. After a pitching change,
Kiera Cooper singled in the next at-bat to score Cates and gave the Owls a 3-1 lead after five.
Bennett continued her incredible outing, only allowing one hit in the final two frames and three hits overall to earn the victory.
GAME ONE NOTES
>> Bennett's 10 strikeouts marked her second double-digit strikeout game of the year.
>> In her last four games pitching 7.0 innings or more, Bennett has tallied 33 strikeouts while only allowing four walks, three earned runs and 17 hits (28.0 innings pitched).
>> Alexander and Hardeman increased their hitting streaks to four games.
>> Bailey pushed her reached-base streak to 13 games, the longest by an Owl this season.
>> The victory marked the first win for KSU in 2022 when scoring less than five runs.
GAME TWO (W, 4-2)
Unlike game one, FGCU got the scoring started early, jumping out to a 2-0 lead before KSU even took the plate.
The lead turned out to be short-lived, after leadoff singles from Alexander and
Katie Greep put two on-base for Cates.
On a 3-1 pitch, Cates launched a homer to left center to give the Owls a 3-2 lead.
The next four innings for starter
Lindsey Kyte (1-5) were almost spotless as she only allowed two hits and stranded three Eagle runners.
Cates struck again in the bottom of the fifth, scoring Greep who led off the inning with a triple.
Bennett entered the game in relief with a 4-2 lead and retired the final four FGCU hitters to seal the win for the Black and Gold.
Kyte pitched 5.2 innings only allowing two earned runs and recorded her first win of the season. Bennett pitched the final 1.1 innings and earned her first save of 2022.
GAME TWO NOTES
>> Bailey once again increased her reached-base streak to 14 games.
>> Alexander's hitting streak now stands at five games.
>> Greep's fifth-inning triple was the second by an Owl in 2022.
>> The save was the sixth of Bennett's career and her first this season.
ON DECK
Game three between the two ASUN squads is set for a 12:00 p.m. first pitch Sunday, Apr. 24. Admission is free and fans can catch 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.
