FRANKFORT, Ky. — Behind a complete-game effort from Marissa Kemp in the circle and a walk-off finish from LillieAnn Hollom, Kentucky State softball split the SIAC doubleheader with LeMoyne-Owen, winning a marathon 11-inning thriller 6-5 before falling 6-4 in the nightcap.
 
In the opening game, Makayla Coffey went 3-for-6 with a double and an RBI. Jorden Bowman reached base four times and finished with a .750 slugging percentage. Aaliyah Long added two RBIs on two hits, including a double.
 
Freshman Marissa Kemp secured her first collegiate win, pitching a complete 11-inning game that included 10 strikeouts.
 
Long continued to lead the charge at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Tiahna Bowman finished 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Catalina Mendoza took the loss, holding the Magicians scoreless through five innings while striking out six.
 
Game 1: Kentucky State 6, LeMoyne-Owen 5
Kentucky State outlasted LeMoyne-Owen in a marathon 11-inning battle, ending with a walk-off single from LillieAnn Hollom.
 
LeMoyne-Owen took a brief 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Kentucky State erased the deficit in the bottom of the second with a two-RBI single from Aaliyah Long and an RBI single from Makayla Coffey.
 
An RBI single from Laila Troxler, followed by a hit from Tess Pelland, put the Thorobreds ahead 5-1 heading into the fifth inning.
 
The Magicians used a sacrifice fly and a two-run home run to come within one run of Kentucky State's 5-4 lead through five innings.
 
In the top of the seventh inning, LeMoyne-Owen tied the game with a single. An unanswered bottom half sent the game into extra innings.
 
Both teams remained deadlocked through the 10th inning as Marissa Kemp commanded the circle, sending the Magicians back to the dugout with the bases loaded.
 
After Kemp retired the Magicians in the top of the 11th, Andralyn Brown singled and stole second to set the stage for the Thorobreds. With two outs, Hollom singled into center field to secure a 6-5 win for Kentucky State.
 
Game 2: LeMoyne-Owen 6, Kentucky State 4
Although the Thorobreds led for the majority of the second game, Kentucky State allowed six runs over the final two innings in a 6-4 loss to the Magicians.
 
Catalina Mendoza was dominant early, keeping LeMoyne-Owen hitless through three innings.
 
In the fourth inning, Long cleared the bases with a two-run double into left field for a 2-0 lead. The Thorobreds extended their lead to 3-0 on a sacrifice bunt from Coffey, sending Troxler home in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Although the Thorobreds scored one run in the fifth inning, six Magicians runs in the sixth and seventh innings led to the 6-4 victory.
 
Up Next
The series with LeMoyne-Owen ends tomorrow, March 1, at 1 p.m. at State Stadium.
 
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