THE BASICS
Records:Â Kennesaw State (17-20), No. 10 Auburn (28-11)
Score:Â Kennesaw State 7, No. 10 Auburn 15
Starting Pitching Matchup: RHP Christian Camacho vs. LHP Nathan Dupree
Key Players: Terence Norman (2-for-5, three RBI),
Grant Williams (2-for-5, RBI),
Corey Greeson (2-for-5, RBI),
Austin Pharr (1-for-3, two RBI)
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THE STORYLINE:Â
· Twelve hits scored seven runs for Kennesaw State, but No. 10 Auburn outweighed the Owls' late charge with 15 runs on 15 hits to take Tuesday's non-conference tilt at Stillwell Stadium.
· With the loss, Kennesaw State dropped to 17-20 overall while 10
th-ranked Auburn improved to 28-11 on the season.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
·
Turner Watkins, a senior RHP out of Roswell, Ga., had an impressive showing out of the bullpen, allowing no runs on no hits in 3.2 frames.
· The righty punched out six Tiger batters –striking out at least one batter in every inning he appeared in—and issued just two walks on the hill. ·
· The shutout innings kept Auburn's bats quiet during the stretch, allowing Kennesaw State to climb back into the game with six runs over the final three frames.
· The highlight of the evening included
Terence Norman's three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, and
Austin Pharr followed his lead with a two-run double in the ninth.
·
Brian Exley (0.1 IP) and
Erich Stahl (1.0 IP) also worked scoreless outings out of the bullpen for KSU, allowing a combined one hit.
· Offensively, the Owls were paced by Norman (2-for-5, three RBI),
Grant Williams (2-for-5, RBI),
Corey Greeson (2-for-5, RBI), and Pharr (1-for-3, two RBI), who combined for seven of Kennesaw State's hits and drove in all seven runs.
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#NESTNOTES:Â
·
Grant Williams extended his hitting streak to 13 games at Stillwell Stadium with a leadoff single in the first inning. The junior from Atlanta has tallied at least one hit in 22 of his last 23 games.
· Watkins' 3.2 frames and six strikeouts on the evening both marked career highs.
·
Taylor Allum walked in the eighth inning, extending his streak to 31 straight games of reaching base safely. The KSU D-I record is 36 games by Max Pentecost in 2014.
·
Terence Norman hit his first home run at Stillwell Stadium in his career.
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UP NEXT
Kennesaw State returns home for an important ASUN series versus first-place Jacksonville. The Dolphins sit at 8-1 overall in league play as the Owls sit third with a 6-3 mark. Friday night's game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., and will air on ESPN3.
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