Thursday, February 24, 2011

KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State Owls used solid pitching by Jessica Cross and a momentous grand slam by Sharon Swanson to take down No. 22 – ranked Georgia Tech, 4-1 at Bailey Park on Wednesday in their 2011 home opener.

With the game scoreless through the first two and a half innings of play, the Owls (7-3), who had just escaped a bases loaded jam in the top half of the frame, loaded up the bases with two outs in the bottom of the third, thanks to a Georgia Tech (7-4) error and a pair of singles by Jensen Hackett and Bianca Durant, bringing Sharon Swanson to the plate. Swanson, who came into the game as the Owls leading run producer with three home runs and 19 RBIs, lifted a 1-0 pitch from Kristen Adkins to left field. The ball just cleared the fence and the outstretched glove of Yellow Jackets left fielder Kristine Priebe, giving the Owls a 4-0 lead.

“It didn’t quite feel like a home run when I hit it, but it just kept carrying,” Swanson said. “I’ve had success hitting the ball to left field, our coaching staff has really helped me pull the ball, they’ve been a big help.”

Owls junior pitcher Jessica Cross was a stalwart on the mound for the Black and Gold, tossing a complete game and allowing just one unearned run on nine hits, striking out five. She moves to 4-1 on the season with the win.

Cross was able to put an end to several potentially game-changing rallies for Georgia Tech, beginning in the first inning. After the Yellow Jackets loaded the bases with two outs on a single and a pair of walks, Cross hunkered down and induced a fly out to deep right field by Shannon Bear.

Georgia Tech, who lost to the Owls for the first time in five meetings, loaded the bases twice more, first in the top of the third inning and then again in the top of the seventh. In the third, Cross was able to maneuver her way out of trouble with back-to-back ground outs. In the seventh, Alysha Rudnik led things off with a double to left center and then, two batters later, was joined on base by Shannon Bear, who recorded a hard-hit single to left field, and Ashley Thomas, who walked, bringing the tying run to the plate with two outs. Kate Kuzma came to the plate and hit what looked to be a single through the left side, but the Owls shortstop, Lindsay Vollmer, was there, making a diving stop and flipping it to Jensen Hackett, who stepped on second base to end the game.

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