The softball team won all three games played over the weekend, beating Belmont 14-5 and Fort Wayne 4-3 on Friday, March 9, before winning Saturday’s rematch against the Mastodons 8-2.
In the opening game, KSU senior Noelle Winkles posted a school-record eight RBIs, including a grand slam in the third inning. By the end of that inning, the Owls had scored 12 runs and thoroughly battered the Bruins.
A mix of Belmont errors and excellent hitting from the Owls set the tone of the game early on as the seven runs scored on Winkles’ two home runs were all unearned. Starting pitcher Abby Green threw eight strikeouts to help keep the large lead intact for the Owls.
Friday’s evening victory over Fort Wayne featured a much closer matchup than the earlier game. The Mastodons got out to an early 2-0 lead, but KSU freshman outfielder Raleigh Williams tied the game back up in the second inning with a two-run home run.
After another game-tying home run was hit by Maddie Roth to make it a 3-3 game, the Owls won in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Roth that drove in Olivia Tamewitz. Starting pitcher Alley Cutting pitched a complete game, striking out six batters and bouncing back after giving up two runs in the first inning.
Saturday’s rematch against Fort Wayne saw another freshman player highlight the day with Patricia Awald hitting two home runs and driving in four runs to lead the Owls to an 8-2 win.
Tamewitz continued her dominance at the plate, extending her career-high hitting streak to 13 games after involving herself in all three games over the weekend.
Another early 2-0 lead by the Mastodons was erased quickly by the Owls, claiming a 3-2 lead on Awald’s first home run. From that point, the game broke open for the Owls as Winkles hit a two-run single in the fifth inning and Awald hit a three-run home run in the sixth.
The 10-8 Owls will play Georgia State at home on Wednesday, March 14, before beginning their Atlantic Sun Conference portion of the schedule at USC Upstate on Saturday, March 17.
