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Kennesaw, Ga. – The Kennesaw State Owls dominated the circle with three shutout innings and five strikeouts. However, the display of strong pitching wasn't sufficient enough to overcome the late-game power from the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, who secured a 6-1 victory to close out the series opener on Friday afternoon.
How It Happened
Western Kentucky loaded the bases early in the top of the first with a walk and a single, but Kennesaw State held firm. Emma Friedel recorded a clutch strikeout, followed by a pair of defensive outs, including an unassisted play by Ava Guzowski to escape the jam and keep the Hilltoppers off the board.
Kennesaw State came out swinging in the bottom half, loading the bases not once but twice in the first inning. Madison Miller walked, stole second, and advanced to third on Hannah Harvey's single. Guzowski then drew a walk to load them up, but WKU's outfield executed a sharp relay to cut down Miller at the plate for the first out. Jojo Johnson earned another walk to reload the bases, but a quick unassisted play by WKU's third baseman ended the threat.
The defensive highlights kept coming in the third. Ty Hardeman laid out in center field for a full extension diving catch to open the frame, firing up the Owls. Friedel then kept the energy high, locking down back-to-back strikeouts to once again send Kennesaw State to the bottom half with momentum.
WKU found their breakthrough in the fourth inning, scoring on a wild pitch and following it up with a solo home run to left, giving the Hilltoppers a 2-0 lead.
The Hilltoppers extended their lead in the fifth, plating a run on a sacrifice fly before capitalizing on an error to push the score to 4-0. Ana Gore dominated, making back-to-back putouts to swiftly retire the side and send the Owls to the bottom half.
Kennesaw State got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Harvey blasted her second home run of the season. Guzowski followed with a single, but WKU's bullpen held strong to prevent further damage.
In the sixth, Friedel worked out of another jam, stranding two Hilltoppers with a strikeout and a pop-up to limit the damage and keep it a three-run game.
Western Kentucky tacked on insurance runs in the late innings with three hits and an error, widening the gap and sealing the win over Kennesaw State.
Quick Hits
- Hannah Harvey went 3-for-4 and set a new season-high.
- Harvey recorded her second home run of the season.
- Emma Friedel dominated the mound with five strikeouts. Friedel is three strikeouts away from double her last season's total and four away from hitting 100 career strikeouts.
On Deck
The Owls are back in the diamond on Saturday, April 5 for a doubleheader to wrap up their series against Western Kentucky. Game one kicks off at 12:30 p.m., with game two following 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first.
