March 4, 2007
Box Score
STATESBORO, Ga. - The Kennesaw State bats erupted for 11 runs and 15 hits as the Owls held off Brown, 11-6, at the Georgia Southern Invitational on Sunday morning at JI Clements Stadium.
Kennesaw State (6-6) took an early, 2-0, lead after Martin Baker (4-for-5) and Jerome Wolley (1-for-4) had back-to-back singles to leadoff the game. After a sacrifice bunt, a grounder to Brown first baseman, Brad Rifkin, was mishandled giving KSU a pair of runs.
Micah Sales (2-1) also had a rough start in the first inning as he had a walk sandwiched by a pair of singles to load the bases with nobody out. A walk to Jeff Dietz (1-for-3) with the bases loaded, cut the lead in half and the Bears (1-3) would take a 3-2 lead on an error by third baseman Andrew Martin.
The Owls would quickly regain control of the game with solo runs in the second and third innings. Tyler Stubblefield (2-for-3) singled and Baker doubled down the left field line in the second to tie the game. In the third inning, Adam Cross (2-for-4) singled, stole second and scored on a Jace Whitmer (2-for-6) hit, making the score 4-3.
Kennesaw State would score another solo run in the fourth on a pair of Brown errors and again in the sixth inning on another Whitmer RBI single.
Brown got to reliever Justin Edwards in the sixth when they took advantage of three walks, a hit batter and an error to come within a run of the Owls.
Chad Jenkins relieved Edwards, after he only getting two outs in the sixth, and pitched the final 3.1 innings to earn his first save of the season. Jenkins allowed just one hit and an unearned run while striking out three of the 12 batters he faced.
The Owls would put the game out of reach with a two-run homer by Cross in the eighth and then scored three runs in the ninth inning with an RBI single by Baker and a two-run single by Jay Morrow.
KSU stole five bases in the game, their season high. Cross had a pair of swipes, giving him five on the season. Meanwhile Baker, Wooley and Matt Dallas also had a stolen base.
The Owls conclude the three-game weekend tournament with a game versus Georgia Southern.
