The Owls took on the Panthers at home on Tuesday night at Bailey Park, looking to bounce back after their winless road trip against Jacksonville State and Mercer.
The Owls ran into some trouble early, loading the bases before the game’s first out. Georgia State’s Jordan Rayner hit a fielder’s choice to give the Panthers a 1-0 leadi the top of the first.
Kennesaw State answered in the bottom half of the inning on a pair of RBI singles by Ana Gore and Ava Brooke Strickland, taking a 2-1 lead after one.
The Owls pitching fared more successfully in the second, sitting three hitters down in a row after a leadoff walk.
KSU extended their lead to 3-1 in the second on a solo home run by Emma Brinkman. The Owls extended their lead even further on an RBI single by Gore, making it 4-1 at the end of the second.
The Panthers answered in the third on an infield single byPayton O’Connor, making it a 4-2 game after three. The Owls were unable to extend their lead, going down in order.
GSU did not score in the fourth despite two walked batters. The inning ended on a double play lineout to first base.
KSU increased its lead to 5-2 in the fourth after a sacrifice fly, cashing in on a leadoff triple by Ty Hardeman.
The Panthers failed to answer in the fifth inning, despite a triple which put them in very promising scoring position.
In the bottom of the inning, the Owls failed to score as well, and the score remained at 5-2.
GSU came roaring back in the sixth and managed to take a 6-5 lead. The first run of the inning came on a sacrifice fly by Chloe Middlebrooks, making it 5-3 in favor of the Owls.
The following at bat, the Panthers tied the game on a two RBI double by Maia Mumpfield and quickly took the lead after a triple by Ashton Schroyer, putting GSU in front for the first time since it was 1-0 in the first inning.
KSU, desperately needing a response, went hitless in the sixth and could only muster a walk, leaving the score at 6-5 in favor of GSU.
The Panthers were able to extend their lead even further in the seventh, adding two more runs on a single by Mumpfield, giving GSU an 8-5 lead with one last chance for the Owls to respond.
KSU fired back with a two-run home run from Macie Howes, bringing the score to 8-7 in favor of the Panthers. The Owls were unable to tie the game and the game ended at an 8-7 Georgia State win.
Despite the loss, KSU saw great offensive output, especially from Strickland, who went 3-4, and Gore, who went 2-3.
KSU will hope for better luck this weekend when they face Louisiana Tech at home.
