KSU’s surging softball team posted two dominant results against the Stetson Hatters (21-16, 6-6 A-Sun) to seal its place atop the Atlantic Sun Conference standings on Saturday in DeLand, Fl with a sweep of the Stetson Hatters.
In game one, the Owls used an offensive explosion in the final inning to pull away for a 5-1 victory. With the game knotted with one run a piece in the 7th inning with one out, KSU’s Sharon Swanson fired a homerun over the right field wall to give the Black and Gold its first lead of the contest.
The Owls would then do some groundwork, as Lindsay Vollmer and Bianca Durant hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second.
Moments later, KSU found the long ball again, this time from the bat of Kaylee Williams, giving the Owls a comfortable 5-1 advantage with half a frame to go.
Amanda Henderson would enter to close the game, registering two strikeouts in the final inning and eventually closing the game on a fly ball.
Jessica Cross earned the win for the Owls, finishing with 1.1 innings pitched and seeing the Owls offense finally show up at the plate.
Starting pitcher Abbey Mixon pitched 4.2 innings, allowing six hits and a run within a 90 pitch span.
Henderson completely took over game two. The sophomore pitcher from Covington, Ga., pitched a complete game, finishing with nine strikeouts on 133 pitches.
Just like in game one, Stetson would take an early lead on the Owls, but relentless play from the mound and some boiling late offense once again helped KSU pull away for a victory.
The Owls scored four runs in the fifth inning, Durant, who had already been leading the A-Sun in homeruns on the year, added to her total with three on the weekend. Her third jack, a solo shot, was followed by a single from Carly Van Auken to record an RBI.
Two walks from the Stetson pitching would allowed two more runs to score for the Owls in the inning. Van Auken recorded two more RBIs in the following inning to help the Owls pull away.
“I’m unbelievably proud of this team today, they came down here and played well in a place where we haven’t had much success in the past,” said head coach Scott Whitlock. “To come from behind and hold on for a pair of wins on the road is certainly a credit to them and the effort they put forth this weekend.”
Cross made headlines after the weekend, becoming the most tenured pitcher in the program’s Division I record books with 106 visits to the mound.
With the victory, the Owls are sitting pretty atop the conference standings with a 25-20 (9-3 A-Sun) record.
The Owls only have three more double-header matchups in conference to go before the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship in Spartanburg, S.C.
As well, the Owls will play at Georgia on April 25.
