Kennesaw State University Athletics

KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State concluded its fall season this past weekend and many of the teams questions for the 2010 campaign were answered as head coach Scott Whitlock and his Owls ended the brief Autumn League campaign with a winning record and several strong individual performances.

"Our fall revealed to us several things,” said head coach Scott Whitlock. “We a fairly talented bunch with a lot of potential and a pretty good work ethic.”

The Owls finished the fall with a 2-1-3 record as the season was cut short due to massive amounts of rain and inclement weather throughout the region. The Black and Gold took wins from Middle Georgia and Georgia State and earned ties with the aforementioned teams as well as Georgia Tech.

The Black and Gold were competitive in all of their six fall games, leading in all but one game they played. In two of the three ties and the lone loss of the fall, the Owls led in the contest with the exception coming in a seventh inning rally during a 1-1 tie with Middle Georgia.

“We still have much on which to improve and we need to learn how to finish,” added Whitlock. “In all of our game dates, we never seemed to be able to finish the day off.  Right now we are a 10-inning team, playing on days that last 14 innings. We got to mature and become a 14-innings a day kind of team, if we're to compete in the A-Sun this spring."

Freshman Ashlee Burkett led the Owls in hitting this fall with a .455 average, going 5-for-11 while veterans Jenna Closner (4-for-10, .400) and Brittany Moore (3-for-7, .429).

In the circle, the Owls finished with a 2.22 team earned run average, allowed 38 hits in 41 innings of work and held their opponents to a .236 batting average. Jessica Cross had two wins and a team-high 10 strikeouts while freshman Abbey Meixel was solid with a 1.75 earned run average in 12 innings of work.

"Even though the season was cut short due to poor weather, I am generally pleased with our play,” commented Whitlock. “On the whole, I'd give us a B to B+ on our fall."

The Owls open up the regular season on Feb. 13 when they play Wright State in the K-Club Classic at Twin Creeks Park in Woodstock, Ga.