KENNESAW, Ga. – Freshman catcher
Princess Valencia went 3-for-3 with a double as the Morehead State softball team fell 6-5 in its season-opening game against the Kennesaw State Owls in the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament on Friday evening at Bobbie Bailey Park.
Kennesaw State right fielder Katie Greep singled up the middle off right-handed pitcher
Sara King (0-1, 3.50 ERA) to score third baseman Taylor Cates in the bottom of the sixth to lift the Owls to the win.
King suffered the defeated in the game after tossing four innings and allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits and three walks. The sophomore also struck out three batters and managed to work out of bases-loaded jams in the third, fourth, and fifth frames.
King replaced left-handed freshman
Lakyn Largent (0-0, 7.00 ERA) who saw two innings of action and give up four runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks.
Morehead State scored three runs in the game's opening inning as an RBI fielder's choice by
Alexis Strother plated
Allison Davis for the first run before an error by the Owls helped bring across sophomore
Kalle Coleman and freshman pinch runner
Peyton Rose. Valencia doubled in the first to help move Davis to third base before being pinch ran for by Rose.
The Owls managed two runs in the bottom of the first and then tied the game in the second.
A sacrifice fly out by freshman shortstop
Peyton Slater plated Coleman to put the Eagles back on top in the third before Kennesaw State answered back with another run to tie in the bottom half of the inning.
Senior right fielder
Aubrey Bennett walked with the bases empty in the third and used her wheels to swing momentum back into MSU's favor in the fourth as she came around to score after causing two errors on an attempted steal of second base.
King walked home a run in the bottom half of the fourth to even the score before Greep's go-ahead single proved to be the game winner.
Valencia led off the seventh with a single into center field before being pinch ran for by freshman
Bella Caracciolo. Caracciolo was able to advance to third base on a groundout and an error but was unable to make it home to tie the game before the Owls nabbed the third and final out.
Valencia led the Eagles in hits with a 3-for-3 night that included a walk while Coleman was 2-for-4 form the plate with two runs scored to make up Morehead State's five hits.
The Eagles will continue to play in the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Tournament with a pair of games on Saturday as they will take on Chattanooga at 10:00 a.m. followed by a matchup with Ohio at 12:30 p.m. ET.
