Georgia State softball blast six home runs in 12-4 win at Kennesaw State

Release from Georgia State Athletics:

Behind a program record and season-high six home runs, the Georgia State softball team cruised to a 12-4 victory over crosstown rival Kennesaw State at Bailey Softball Complex in Kennesaw, Ga. Wednesday night.

“It is always good to get a win over a crosstown rival,” head coach Roger Kincaid said after the big win. “We focus on winning the state of Georgia and tonight’s victory keeps us on track to accomplish that this season. After a down period, we have come back extremely strong swinging the bats and doing what we need to do to win.”

Lauren Coleman and Megan Litumbe led the way with two home runs and three RBI each. Ivie Drake also finished with three RBI and a homer. Kensey Caldwell also hit one out of the park and drove in two. Taylor Thorpe pitched a complete game en route to her 14th win of the season. She scattered 10 hits over seven innings and allowed four runs.

“I am so proud of Taylor,” Kincaid said. “She has stepped up this season and is trying to be a leader in the circle for us. She has pitched really well over the past three games and it shows with three wins. We look for her momentum to continue this weekend.”

The Panthers jumped out on early lead thanks to three home runs in the top of the first inning. Taylor Anderson was hit by a pitch and Ashely Christy walked, before Drake cleared the bases with her 14th homer of the season to put GSU up 3-0. Then Litumbe and Coleman both hit solo shots to make it 5-0 after one.

After a scoreless second, Georgia State added four more to its lead in the third. Callie Alford was hit by a pitch and then scored on Coleman’s second home run of the game. Mandy Blackwell then reached on an error before she scored on Caldwell’s two-run bomb to center.

Kennesaw State responded with two runs in the bottom of the third to make it a 9-2 game. Neither team scored in the fourth and the Owls added a single run in the fifth to cut the Panthers’ lead to 9-3 after five.

In the top of the sixth, Drake singled and scored when Litumbe blasted her second homer of the game and 16th of the season to put GSU up 11-3. Kennesaw State scored one in the bottom of the sixth to avoid the run-rule. Georgia State then added one in the top of the seventh on Anderson’s RBI single before Thorpe retired the Owl side in order to clinch the 12-4 win.