HIGHLIGHTS:
• Michelle Mazur and Lydia Witkowski each hit their first home runs of the season
• Mazur's two-run homer in the second inning was the game-winner, putting GS up 3-2
• A.J. Hamilton hit her seventh home run of the season in the fifth
 
STATESBORO, Ga. – Three different Eagles homered Wednesday night – including two for the first time this season – to lead the Georgia Southern softball team to a 6-4 victory over in-state rival Kennesaw State at Eagle Field.
 
Redshirt freshman Lydia Witkowski and junior Michelle Mazur both knocked their first home runs of the season early in the game against the Owls while senior catcher A.J. Hamilton hit her seventh of the year. All three also recorded two hits at the plate with Hamilton leading the way with a perfect 2-for-2 outing that included three runs batted in and one run scored herself. Mazur went 2-for-3, including her first double of the season after ripping the game-winning home run in the bottom of the second. Witkowski went 2-for-4 at the dish and matched Mazur with a homer and a double.
 
The Owls (22-17) scored the first two runs of the game in the top of the second inning off a two-RBI single by Missy Perkowski, but the Eagles (24-17) answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame, including the two-run bomb from Mazur. Prior to Mazur's homer, Hamilton sent a sacrifice fly to right-center field, scoring Morgan Robinson.
 
In the bottom of the third, Witkowski led off the Eagles' half of the inning by blasting her home run over the right field fence and a few batters later, Robinson scored off a single to right field from Hamilton to set the score at 5-2 in favor of GS.
 
Kennesaw State was able to score a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning to pull back within one; however, Hamilton extended the Eagles' lead back out to two when she blasted her solo home run to left-center field in the bottom of the frame.
 
Dixie Raley (17-8) had another solid outing in the circle for GS, going the distance while giving up just four hits and four runs, two earned, while striking out five batters. Jenna Kniss (0-3) started just her third game of the season but pitched just over two innings while giving up four earned runs, including two of the three home runs.
 
COACH SMITH SAYS
"This was an important win for us, tonight. They are ahead of us in the RPI rankings and are a good team, so I'm happy to get the win. I'm also really happy for Lydia and Michelle getting their first home runs of the season, as well as A.J. adding another one tonight. Overall I was very proud with our entire lineup. We did some very good things at the plate and in the field and did a little bit of everything: played some speed game, played some power game. Tonight really helps us to keep the momentum going from last weekend heading into another important conference series this weekend."

UP NEXT
The Eagles will wrap up their current seven-game homestand this weekend with a three-game Sun Belt Conference series against South Alabama at Eagle Field. GS and USA will play a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 16 beginning at 3 p.m. and will close out the series with a single game on Sunday, Apr. 17. Sunday's game between the Eagles and Jaguars will serve as the Georgia Southern's annual Pink Game with fans being encouraged to wear pink to the game for cancer awareness.
 
 
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by visiting GSEagles.com/Tickets.