Thursday, April 29, 2010

MACON, Ga. – The Atlantic Sun Softball Series of the Week features a battle for seeding in the Atlantic Sun Championship as Kennesaw State hosts Jacksonville in a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. Thursday from Bailey Park in Kennesaw, Ga. Catch all of the action on A-Sun.TV.

Last season, the Dolphins and the Lady Owls split the series April 11 in Jacksonville, Fla. In the first game, JU tallied a mark on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning after Shannon Monahan singled to right field and Amanda Schmidt drove her in on an RBI. April Harper limited the Dolphins to five hits through seven innings in the second contest to keep the score even at 0-0, until teammate Catherine Tarvin doubled down the left field line to give the Lady Owls the 1-0 win.

In its first season of postseason eligibility at the Division I level, Kennesaw State has already made a strong statement during league play, having tallied a 24-22 record against non-conference op¬ponents and a 9-7 tally against league foes. The Owls rank 24th in double plays per game with 0.39 and ranks 35th in home runs per game with 0.96 this season.

Lady Owl Ashlee Burkett enters weekend play ranking fifth in the league with a .362 batting average, a .624 slugging percentage ranking her fourth in the conference, .a 428 on base percentage. Burkett also sit second in the A-Sun RBIs (34), ranks tied for seventh in home runs with teammate Jenna Closner at eight, ties for eight. Sophomore Jessica Cross paces Kennesaw State from inside the circle with a 2.02 ERA, while limiting opponents to a .210 batting average in 145.1 innings pitched. Cross holds 108 strikeouts and 13 wins on the year.

Jacksonville enters the weekend with an overall record of 29-17 and conference tally of 7-7. The Dolphins have already defeated BCS opponent Virginia Tech twice, 11-7 and 3-2. The Dolphins’ pitching staff ranks first in the A-Sun with the fewest amount of walks allowed (74) and the squad ranks third in batting average with a .265 clip.

Senior pitcher Ashley Iveson paces the Dolphins with a 1.87 ERA, and has recorded 147 strikeouts in the season while limiting opponents to a .222 batting average in 127.1 innings pitched. Iveson also ranks 24th in the nation in shutouts with 7.0. Kayla Oullet leads the Dolphins charge at the plate with a .364 batting average, a .422 on base percentage which ranks tied for fifth in the A-Sun.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.