THE BASICS
Records: Kennesaw State (18-22, 7-5), Jacksonville (25-17, 10-2)
Score (Game 1): Kennesaw State 5, Jacksonville 7
Score (Game 2): Kennesaw State 6, Jacksonville 1
Starting Pitching Matchup (Game 1): LHP Casey Kulina vs. RHP AJ Moore
Starting Pitching Matchup (Game 2): RHP Chris Gau vs. LHP Mason Ward
 
(Game 1): Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (XML)
(Game 2): Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (XML)
Highlights | Photo Gallery (Kyle Hess)

THE STORYLINE: 
· Southpaw Mason Ward shutdown the potent offense of Jacksonville in Game 2 of Saturday's twinbill, tossing a complete game to help propel the Black and Gold past the Dolphins, 6-1, earning a split after dropping a hard-fought 7-5 contest in Game 1 at Stillwell Stadium.
· The lefty tossed his first complete game in his career, and got help from Austin Upshaw at the dish finishing 5-for-8 with four RBI, a HR, and a run scored on the day to pace the offense.
· With the split, Kennesaw State improved to 18-22 overall and 7-5 in ASUN action, while Jacksonville now sits at 25-17 overall and 10-2 in league play.
 
GAME 1
· The Owls' bats were quiet until the fifth inning, breaking loose for four runs on four hits to take their only lead of the ballgame.
· Trailing 1-0 entering the frame, KSU's four-run frame was highlighted by an RBI single off the bat of Jeremy Howell and a two-run homer from junior Austin Upshaw –his third HR of the series—all with two outs to help the Black and Gold take a 4-1 advantage.
· RHP AJ Moore, a Dacula, Ga., native, retired 12 of 14 batters from the second inning through the fifth to keep the 1-0 deficit intact and allow the Owls to take the lead.  
· Jacksonville answered, however, with a four-run sixth inning and single runs in the eighth and ninth, out-weighing an RBI from Terence Norman to take a 7-5 final.
· Offensively, the Owls were led by Upshaw (2-for-4, two RBI), Howell (2-for-4, RBI) and David Chabut (2-for-2, run), who all combined for six of KSU's 10 hits and drove in three of the four runs.  
 
GAME 2
· Kennesaw State wasted no time in the second game of Saturday's twinbill, plating six runs over its first three at-bats on nine hits to jump out to a 6-1 advantage.
· The Owls totaled six runs on RBI singles from Taylor Allum, Garrett Hodges (two RBI), Austin Upshaw, David Chabut and Chris Erwin to take their largest lead of the series.
· On the bump was southpaw Mason Ward (4-2), a Canton, Ga., native, who was in control from the start, allowing just one run on six scattered hits in his first complete game.
· The lefty faced three over the minimum and retired his final 16 batters faced, cruising to earn his fourth victory of the season.
· Offensively, the Black and Gold were paced by Grant Williams (2-for-4, two runs), Upshaw (3-for-4, two RBI), and Hodges (1-for-4, two RBI).
 
#NESTNOTES: 
· Taylor Allum singled in the second inning of Game 1 Saturday afternoon, extending his streak to 33 straight games of reaching base safely.
· Allum knocked home an RBI in the first inning in the second game of the twinbill, extending his streak to 34 straight games of reaching base safely. The KSU D-I record is 36 games by Max Pentecost in 2014.
· Mason Ward recorded his first complete game with the Owls Saturday evening.
· Austin Upshaw finished the weekend 8-for-12 with three HR, one double and six RBI, recording a 1.500 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage.
 
UP NEXT
Kennesaw State is on the road all of next week, trekking to Charlotte, N.C. on Tuesday (April 25) to take on Charlotte in a non-conference tilt. The ballgame is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. and will air on Charlotte49ers.TV.