THE BASICS
Records: Kennesaw State (2-2), Savannah State (3-1)
Score: Kennesaw State 9, Savannah State 1
Starting Pitching Matchup: RHP Justin Washington vs. LHP Mason Ward
Key Players: Taylor Allum (3-for-5, 2RBI); Terence Norman (3-for-4, 2RBI); Garrett Hodges (3-for-5); Mason Ward (1-0)
 
Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (XML)

THE STORYLINE: 
· Behind the left arm of senior Mason Ward, the Kennesaw State baseball team soared past visiting Savannah State Wednesday night 9-1 at Stillwell Stadium in a non-conference contest.
· The Owls' offense scored nine runs on 13 hits, following an impressive outing for Ward in his sixth career start.
· Kennesaw State evened its record to 2-2 on the season following the win, while Savannah State dropped its first game of the season and is now 3-1 overall.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 
·  The lefty was impressive all night, allowing just two hits –a career low in starts— while striking out a career-high nine Tigers in 6.0 frames.
· Ward was sharp from the start, recording two punch outs in each of the first three frames to shut down Savannah State's lineup.
· The senior recorded three more strikeouts in the sixth inning and faced three batters over the minimum to earn the victory.
· With Ward working on the mound, the Owls' offense picked him up with three runs in the bottom of the first, two more in the fifth, a run in the sixth and a crooked three in the bottom half of the eighth all on 13 hits.
· Kennesaw State's Taylor Allum (3-for-5, 2RBI), Terence Norman (3-for-4, 2RBI), and Garrett Hodges (3-for-5) combined for nine of the Owls' 13 hits on the evening, including three extra base hits.
· Freshman Taylor Wilkes, sophomore Drew Reeves and junior Will Bice all made appearances out of the bullpen for KSU, totaling 3.0 innings while allowing two hits and a run in relief work.
 
QUOTEABLE
"You want your starting pitcher going deep in a ballgame and I thought Mason (Ward) did an excellent job tonight," said head coach Mike Sansing. "He managed the game very well and it was encouraging to see a great start."
 
"It was opening day for each Terence (Norman) and Garrett (Hodges) and I thought each of them had an impressive night. It's positive to see them get in a game and make an immediate impact in the lineup," said Sansing.
 
#NESTNOTES: 
· The Owls improved their all-time record versus Savannah State to 7-1 since joining the D-I ranks in 2006.
· Freshman duo Terence Norman and Garrett Hodges each made their Kennesaw State collegiate debuts Wednesday night, going a combined 6-for-9 at the plate
· Norman was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle in his debut and hit an RBI single in his first AB.
· Allum added to his team-leading home run total with his third long ball in four games. The Grayson, Ga., native has a career-high home run total in four games after totaling two homers in each of his first two seasons.  
· Every starter reached base at least once on the night and a total of seven KSU batters totaled at least one hit.
 
UP NEXT
The Owls return to Stillwell Stadium Feb. 24-26 for a three-game series versus non-conference foe Winthrop. The series will end a season-opening seven-game homestand for the Owls before turning to the road next week. All three games will be available on ASUN.TV.