By: KSU Sports Information
Official Conference Release
A-Sun Championship
MACON, Ga. – Following a weekend in which the Kennesaw State Owls softball team clinched at least a share of the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title, freshman infielder Kaylee Williams has been named the A-Sun Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. Williams hit two pivotal home runs in the Owls, 7-3, victory over Mercer Saturday in the title-clinching game.
Williams, who was 3-for-8 on the week and drove in runs with all three of her hits, launched the first of her two home runs, both to left centerfield, to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning and give the Owls (30-22, 14-4 A-Sun) a, 1-0, advantage. Her second blast came in the sixth inning when, also as the leadoff batter in the frame, she tied things up at two and sparked what would be a six-run inning that would all but seal victory for the Owls in the second game of their doubleheader sweep over the rival-Bears.
Williams also drove in the Owls only run on Wednesday at Georgia.
“I’m really proud and happy for Kaylee, but I am not at all surprised that she would garner an honor like this,” Owls head coach Scott Whitlock said. “Kaylee has really been a big part of our success in conference play this season, and we look forward to seeing her continue to contribute the way she has in the A-Sun Championship 10 days from now.”
The Kennesaw native heads into the A-Sun Championship having started in 51 of the Owls 52 games, sporting a .272 batting average with five home runs, while her 29 RBI ranks her second among A-Sun freshmen and 10
th in the league overall. She has really excelled in conference play, having batted .345 in 18 A-Sun contests with four home runs and 18 RBI.
This is the third such award an Owl has received this season, as senior Jessica Cross was named the A-Sun Player of the Week on Apr. 2 and Amanda Henderson was named the A-Sun Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 20.
The Black and Gold will find out this Thursday whether they are the No. 1 or No. 2 in next week’s A-Sun Championship, which will be held at USC Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C., beginning Wednesday, May 9. Florida Gulf Coast currently holds a 12-4 conference record and hosts North Florida in a doubleheader on Thursday evening. Their performance in the twin bill combined with a few other tie-breaker scenarios will determine the Owls seeding. Having been assured of a top-two seed in the A-Sun Championship, Kennesaw State will not begin play until Thursday, May 10.
