KENNESAW, Ga. – Another dominant performance in the circle by an Owl pitcher led Kennesaw State softball (5-10) to a 1-0 win in extra innings over the Samford Bulldogs (5-10) Tuesday inside Bailey Park.
Starter
Melanie Bennett (3-2) pitched all 9.0 innings with authority, allowing only four hits with 13 strikeouts and zero runs to earn her 47th career win.
She also collected her 50th career complete game, becoming the second Owl in Kennesaw State's Division I history to earn the honor (Brittany Matthews, 2006-08).
Stacey Deputy and
Brinaya Bailey led KSU offensively with each collecting two hits at the plate Tuesday. For the freshman Deputy, it marked her second-career multi-hit game.
Bennett was electric in the circle from the get-go, allowing only one Bulldog hit in the first four frames.
KSU notched four hits in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings combined but were kept scoreless by the Samford defense. The Owls recorded seven total hits on the evening.
In extra innings, the KSU defense remained dominant, sitting down every batter that entered the plate in the eighth and ninth frames.
Deputy led off the bottom of the ninth with a single then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from
Caroline Shumeyko.
Pinch hitter
Laura Bishop entered the game with only one out and sent a hot-shot to first base that forced an error by the Samford first baseman, allowing Deputy to score all the way from second and propelled KSU to a 1-0 victory.
The win was the second time this season the cardiac Owls have won a 1-0 game, the last coming on Feb. 19 at Troy.
GAME NOTES
>> The win was the fourth time KSU has earned a victory scoring only one run in the
Tripp MacKay era and the 22nd time since 2010.
>> The Owls have won five consecutive games inside Bailey Park dating back to 2022.
>> KSU extended Samford's road losing streak to five games.
>> Bennett secured her ninth-career double-digit strikeout game and her first of 2023.
ON DECK
The Owls homestand continues versus Northern Iowa to kickstart the I-75 Challenge at Bailey Park on Thursday, Mar. 2 at 5:30 p.m.
Admission is free to all 2023 KSU softball home games and fans can catch the action on KSU Owl Network.
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.
