Feb. 22, 2008
Box Score
Photo Gallery
KENNESAW, Ga.--On a cold and dreary day to open the 2008 season, Chad Jenkins pitched five solid innings and Tyler Stubblefield drove in three runs with three hits, giving the Owls an 8-3 victory over Samford at Stillwell Stadium on Friday evening.
"It's always good to get that first one," said KSU head coach Mike Sansing. "I felt we were pretty consistent the whole night. If we can pitch well and play good defense, we will continue to give ourselves opportunities to win."
The Owls (1-0) jumped on the board in the bottom of the first inning with three early runs. Ric Bishop doubled down the line in left, driving home Jacob Robbins for KSU's first run. With Jace Whitmer on third and Bishop on second, Andrew Martin doubled to the gap in left-center field. Whitmer and Bishop each came home to score and the Owls led, 3-0.
Samford (0-1) scored single runs in the third and fourth to cut the deficit to a single run, but Stubblefield struck to stake the Owls to a three-run lead again. The sophomore bounced a double down the left field line, scoring Martin and Curtis Van Wyck to make it a 5-2 game.
The Bulldogs scored a run in the top of the sixth, but the Owls put the game away in the bottom of the inning. Stubblefield connected on a 1-1 offering for a double to the warning track in left. The hit easily scored van Wyck from second to put KSU ahead, 6-3.
KSU then got a pair of two-out hits to keep the rally going. A bloop single to right by Martin Baker scored Stubblefield for the Owls' second run of the inning. Baker would advance to second on the throw home to try and get Stubblefield out. The smart baserunning move would prove beneficial for the Black and Gold, as Jay Morrow singled to center, scoring Baker to make it 8-3.
That was all the scoring that the Owls pitching staff would need. Jenkins (1-0) went five innings, giving up four hits and two runs while fanning eight Bulldogs. Kyle Heckathorn entered in relief and allowed a lone run on two hits in three innings of work. Ryan Rodebaugh made his collegiate debut in the ninth, giving up a hit and a walk but striking out a pair to hold the Bulldogs scoreless to complete the game.
Trent Hill (0-1) took the loss for Samford, giving up four earned runs in four innings of work.
The two teams will meet again tomorrow in game two of the three-game set. First pitch at Stillwell Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
