KSU’s softball team fell, 6-3, at the hands of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Wednesday at Bailey Park on the KSU campus.
Despite the defeat, the evening was a success for both teams as a total of $1,500 in ticket proceeds were raised for the Lexi Kaiser Foundation on the night dubbed Lexi’s Night.
Kaiser, a nine year-old who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, has been the name attached the annual Lexi’s Night, which occurred for the 5th straight time Wednesday evening.
A similar event, on a smaller scale, was held on Saturday as a group of KSU sports communication and sports management students sponsored a wiffle ball tournament at Kenworth Park in Acworth to raise awareness for the Kyle Pease foundation.
Pease, a KSU sport management alumni living with Cerebral Palsy as well, works eighty hours per week at local Atlanta hospitals and competes in nationally recognized marathons and triathlons alongside his brothers, Ben and Brent.
Before the contest on Wednesday, Kaiser presented a special bike to another youngster who suffers from the same disease.
In the contest itself, the game was even for the first third of play as pitching dominated both sides. KSU’s starting pitcher, Abbey Mixon, pitched well for the Black and Gold, but a sloppy defensive performance in the third inning hurt the Owls greatly.
The Yellow Jackets scored five runs off two hits and two errors in the top of the third. Jessica Cross would enter for relief in the inning as well for the Owls pitching staff.
KSU responded, however, in the bottom of the frame. With Carly Van Auken and Jamie Saunders on the bags, freshman Natalie Rhodes hit a triple to bring home two runs.
Later in the bottom half, Jessica Cross scored Rhodes on a single to make the score 5-3.
KSU’s Amanda Henderson was impressive on the mound for the Owls in the final third of the game, pitching to no allowed runs and five strikeouts, but KSU’s offense struggled at the plate.
The game concluded early because of rain, pitting the Owls 0-2 against their in-state rival, Georgia Tech, for the year.
Despite the loss on Wednesday night, a successful stretch from the Owls in conference play this weekend has kept them in first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference Standings.
KSU (22-19, 7-3 A-Sun) currently sits on top of USC Upstate (31-6, 4-2). The Spartans are ranked 10th in a recent mid-major poll, which ranks the top teams in the second tier of Division I conferences.
KSU earned its spot on top of the standings by taking 3-of-4 games this weekend in a pair of double-headers against North Florida and Jacksonville at Bailey Park.
The Owls swept North Florida with scores of 7-4 and 12-4 before splitting a Saturday series with the Dolphins.
KSU has eight remaining conference games in the regular season schedule. Its next matchup will be on the road against Troy, today, before heading to a weekend matchup against conference foe Stetson.
The Black and Gold will be back in Kennesaw on Friday, April 20th for a double-header against Lipscomb, followed a day later with a double-header against Belmont.