David Almeda (Staff Writer)
On an unusually chilly, flurry-riddled night at Bailey Park, KSU’s softball team was looking to build on an electrifying walk-off victory and begin a new winning streak.
Instead, the Owls (16-15, 6-3 A-Sun) were frozen solid at the plate, registering only one hit and three total baserunners as they suffered an 8-0 setback to Georgia State Tuesday night.
Amanda Henderson got the start in the Owls’ third game against the Panthers this season. After a rough 2.1 inning outing that saw six runs cross the plate, Paige Matthews entered the game in the third, pitching 4.2 innings while striking out six.
After a quiet first inning, the Owls began to run into trouble in the second. GSU took advantage of a walk and a fielding error before another KSU miscue allowed them to take a 1-0 lead. the Panthers capped off the inning with a monster three-run home run over the scoreboard to extend their lead to 4-0.
GSU continued to extend its lead in the third, taking advantage of four more hits to extend the score to a commanding 6-0.
To make matters worse, KSU simply could not get any type of offensive spark throughout the game. Days after the Lipscomb Bisons came close to perfection against the Owls, the Panthers were sniffing a no-hitter themselves. For 4.1 innings, KSU could not attain a single hit until Megan Veringa singled to right field in the fifth to break up another potential no-hitter.
The fifth inning knock would prove to be the lone hit the Owls could muster, as GSU tacked on two more runs in the top of the final inning to cruise to an 8-0 shutout victory.
The Owls will attempt to rebound when they play host to Georgia Tech Wednesday at 6 p.m.
