By: Michael Pitts
Kennesaw State (13-28, 5-10 ASUN) at No. 6/7 Tennessee (34-5, 13-2 SEC)
Location: Sherri Parker Lee Stadium – Knoxville, Tenn.
Game Info: Tuesday, Apr. 18 at 5:00 p.m.
Leading Off
A midseason add to the schedule for Kennesaw State softball pits the Owls against the No. 6/7Â Tennessee Lady Vols Tuesday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
KSU ended the weekend with a 6-0 victory over Jacksonville that featured a gem in the circle from Melanie Bennett and a grand slam from Kiera Cooper.
The Owls are 1-2 against Southeastern Conference opponents in 2023 including an upset victory over No. 7/6 Alabama on Feb. 26.
With a win Tuesday, Kennesaw State will have earned multiple ranked wins for the first time in program history.
The Volunteers are one of seven squads on the 2023 KSU softball schedule that made the 2022 NCAA Division I regionals.
Tennessee is coming off a weekend sweep of No. 16/17 Kentucky including wins of 10-2 and 15-1. UT sits atop the SEC standings entering Tuesday.
The game is set for a 5:00 p.m. first pitch on SEC Network+.
A Familiar Foe
Tennessee leads the all-time series 4-0 over Kennesaw State. Tuesday marks the first meeting between the two since Mar. 24, 2021.
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The Iron Woman
Cates has been a staple in the Kennesaw State lineup during her career. On Sunday, Mar. 19 at Austin Peay, Cates surpassed Owl legend Jessica Cross with her 164th consecutive game played for the most in Kennesaw State DI history. In the Owls' next contest against No. 17/16 Georgia, the Canton, Ga. native surpassed Cross again - this time for most consecutive starts in KSU DI history, also with 164.
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Circle of Gems
One of the main themes for KSU softball so far in 2023 are stellar performances by the Owl pitching staff.
Feb. 15 vs. Mercer – The Owls shutout Mercer behind 4.0 innings of two-hit ball from Lindsey Kyte. Melanie Bennett entered in relief and collected her 400th career strikeout.
Feb. 19 at Troy – Bennett struck again for the Owls against the Trojans with a three-hit complete game in the circle as the Owls won 1-0.
Feb. 24 vs. Indiana State – Freshman Kenley Hilleary made a name for herself in the Bama Bash, starting with a 10-inning complete game allowing only one earned run and five hits. She notched a then-career-high 11 strikeouts with 180 pitches thrown.
Feb. 26 at No. 7/6 Alabama – KSU's wire-to-wire upset of the Crimson Tide was led by Hilleary's four-hit complete game. She had four K's in the circle and the win marked her first collegiate victory. Hilleary won ASUN Pitcher of the Week honors.
Feb. 28 vs. Samford – Another 1-0 win for the Owls with Bennett in the circle featured a nine-inning complete game from the KSU ace. She allowed only four hits with a commanding 13 strikeouts in the shutout.
Mar. 7 at Georga Southern – Hilleary crushed it again for the Owls, pitching 5.0 innings allowing no runs with only four hits. She struck out half of the batters she faced, tallying 10 total on the evening – including two punchouts in each inning of work.
Mar. 10 vs. North Dakota – Laura Bishop led the charge in KSU's run-rule win over UND. She pitched a five-inning complete game with zero earned runs and only five hits allowed to Fighting Hawk batters to secure her first win of 2023.
Mar. 24 vs. Eastern Kentucky – Bennett earned her 50th career win with five innings of work and seven strikeouts in the Owls victory.
Mar. 25 vs. Eastern Kentucky – Hilleary dominated yet again with her fourth complete game allowing only one hit and one run in 28 batters faced as the Owls took a 2-1 win to earn the series victory over the Colonels. Five of her strikeouts came in the first four innings of the contest.
Apr. 16 at Jacksonville – Bennett ended the JU series on a high note, striking out six in a seven-inning complete game one-hitter against the Dolphins. It marked the third one-hit complete-game of her KSU career in the Owls' 6-0 victory. She set the KSU DI career record for complete games with 56.
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On Deck
The Owls head home for a three-game series against the Lipscomb Bisons starting with two games Saturday, Apr. 22. The doubleheader is headlined by the beloved tradition Lexi's Day.
All three games of the series will be broadcasted on ESPN+. Admission is free for all 2023 KSU softball home contests.
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.
