Kennesaw State Softball Splits Sunday Doubleheader with Florida Gulf Coast

Kennesaw State Owls infielder Ashlee Burkett hit a two-out, walk-off double to lead the Owls to victory in their second of a doubleheader against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, 6-5, on Sunday afternoon in Bailey Park. The win came on the heels of a hard-fought, 2-0 defeat in 10 innings despite a masterful performance in the pitcher’s circle from Abbey Meixel.Trailing, 5-4, heading into the seventh inning and facing their eighth consecutive loss to FGCU since the head-to-head series began in 2008, the Black and Gold dug down in their last chance at the plate. Senior Lyndsay McCurry, who was pinch hitting, willed her way with a bunt single with one out in the inning, setting the table for Jensen Hackett, who legged out an infield single of her own. Sara Sikes would pop out and Bianca Durant would be hit by a pitch, loading up the bases for Burkett. The Owls third baseman, who had three hits on the afternoon after an 0-for-7 showing on Saturday, scorched an 0-1 pitch from Stephanie Sullivan down the left field line, easily scoring McCurry and Hackett to win the game.

Meixel would strike out 12 batters in the first game on Sunday, giving her 25 strikeouts over her last two starts, as she fanned 13 in the Owls, 4-3, win over Stetson on Sunday. The Owls allowed the only two runs in the game in the 10th inning, both of them unearned.

The Black and Gold travel to the southern part of the state on Tuesday, when they visit Georgia Southern for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. They will be back in the Kennesaw area on Wednesday when they travel just down I-75 to face Georgia Tech, where they will try to sweep the season series against the Yellow Jackets. First pitch for that game is scheduled for 6 p.m.