Game One Box Score (PDF) | Game Two Box Score (PDF)
TROY, Ala. – The Kennesaw State softball team (2-3) dropped two hard-fought games of a doubleheader to open the Troy Invitational Friday afternoon.
First baseman
Brinaya Bailey went 3-for-6 in the two games with one RBI.
Faith Alexander joined the Loganville, Ga. native as the only two Owls to record a hit in both games.
Alexander also posted the 35th stolen base of her KSU career.
KSU fell to Murray State (3-3) 7-2 and Troy (3-2), 6-0. Both opponents finished 2022 with RPI rankings in the top 100 (Murray State – 95, Troy – 83).
GAME ONE vs. Murray State (L, 2-7)
Friday's opening contest against the Racers was headlined by freshman pitcher
Kenley Hilleary's first career start.
The Decatur, Ala. native struck out the side in her first collegiate inning and kept Murray State hitless in the first three frames. She pitched 3.2 innings allowing only three hits and one earned run with four strikeouts.
The Kennesaw State offense managed only one hit in the first three innings before freshman
Stacey Deputy's first career triple scored
Stella Henry, giving KSU a 1-0 lead.
Kiera Cooper continued her hot start to 2023 in the next at-bat, sending Deputy across home plate for a 2-0 Owl advantage.
Murray State scored one run in the bottom of the inning and six runs combined in the fifth and sixth innings to secure a 7-2 win.
Kyte (1-2) pitched the final 2.1 innings and was credited with the loss.
GAME ONE NOTES
>> Freshman
Peri Rouillard and Henry each played in their first career games for Kennesaw State.
>> Deputy became the first Owl freshman since 2017 to record a hit in each of their first four games.
GAME TWO vs. Troy (L, 1-6)
Bailey notched the first KSU hit of the game in the opening inning – marking the 70th hit of her Owl career.
Pacy Villa and
Taylor Cates recorded doubles in the second and third innings, respectively. Villa's two-bagger added to her great start to the season while Cates' marked the 140th hit of her Owl career.
The home team got the scoring started early and got out to a 6-0 lead after the first three innings. The KSU defense kept Troy scoreless for the remainder of the contest.
Bailey came through again for the Owls in the top of the fifth, sending an RBI single into center to score Alexander and cut the Trojan lead to 6-1.
Starter
Melanie Bennett (1-1) pitched 4.0 innings with three strikeouts and was credited with the loss.
Laura Bishop pitched 2.0 innings of relief allowing only one hit with two strikeouts.
GAME TWO NOTES
>> Alexander played in her 150th career game at Kennesaw State.
>> Madison Miller's seventh-inning double was the first extra-base hit of her Owl career.
>> Cates has now played in 142 consecutive games, 21 away from tying the Kennesaw State Division I record. She also made her 141st consecutive start and is now 22 starts away from tying the KSU Division I mark.
>> Cates recorded her 15th stolen base in her collegiate career.
>> The Owls have now scored in 33 straight games dating back to last season.
ON DECK
The Owls' run through the Troy Invitational continues Saturday, Feb. 18 against Murray State at 12:00 p.m. ET and Troy at 6:00 p.m. ET.
KSU returns to Bailey Park on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 5:00 p.m. against Samford.
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.
