By: by Mark Toma
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State remained undefeated in Autumn League softball play as they picked up a tie and a win in a doubleheader against Middle Georgia College on Friday afternoon at Bailey Park.
The Owls (2-0-2) won the opener, 5-0, as Jessica Cross picked up her second win of the fall. In the nightcap, Kennesaw State and the Warriors played to a 1-1, eight-inning tie.
The pitching staff remained strong as Cross, Mandi Burns and Abbey Meixel did not allow an earned run in 15 innings of work. Each of the three pitchers threw five innings on the day with Burns pitching in both games. The Owls team earned run average lowered to 0.78 in four fall games.
The opener saw Kennesaw State jump out to a 4-0 lead after two innings, highlighted by a three-run second inning. Jenna Closner got things started with an RBI single in the first inning, the first of three runs batted in on the day for the senior catcher.
In the second inning, Kennesaw State got a leadoff double from Kelsey Kulk and a single from Brittany Moore. Jensen Hackett drove in Kulk with a sacrifice fly to center field before an RBI single from Cross and a run-scoring double from Closner put the Black and Gold up by four runs.
Lyndsay McCurry led off the fourth inning with a single, stole second base and scored on a Klair Wells single to center field. McCurry, who is hitting .308 in the fall, had a pair of hits and scored two runs as the leadoff hitter.
Cross (2-0) went five innings, allowing a hit and three walks, for the win while Burns tossed two scoreless innings, allowing a walk and a strikeout.
In the nightcap, Closner’s two-out double in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Ashley Moss with the tying run as the Owls rallied back for the tie. Moss’ one-out single was her first hit of the fall.
An unearned run in the fourth inning saw Middle Georgia take the lead, but Kennesaw State’s Burns and Meixel held the Warriors in check. Burns threw three scoreless innings while Meixel struck out two batters in five innings of work as she kept her ERA at 0.00 during the fall.
Wells, McCurry and Closner each had two hits on the day for the Owls who pounded out 13 hits. Brittany Moore, Katie Hamilton, Karlie Gillam and Kulk each had their first hits of the fall in the opener.
The Owls will conclude the fall season with a doubleheader at Georgia Tech on Sunday afternoon.
Game 1 Owls 5, Middle Georgia 0
| Teams |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
| Middle Georgia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
| Kennesaw State |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
x |
5 |
10 |
1 |
Cross (5), Burns (2)
Game 2 Owls 1, Middle Georgia 1 (8)
Teams
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8 |
R
|
H
|
E
|
Middle Georgia
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
1
|
6
|
0
|
Kennesaw State
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0 |
5
|
10
|
1 |
Burns (3), Meixel (5)
