May 16, 2008
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--Sophomore Chad Jenkins fired a shutout in game one and Drew Fowlkes had a two-run double in the nightcap as Kennesaw State wrapped up second place in the Atlantic Sun Conference with a sweep of Jacksonville, 10-0 (7) and 8-6. With the wins, the Owls finish the season 21-12 in the A-Sun, the best finish for KSU since moving to the conference for the 2006 season.
Jenkins was solid in the first game, getting all the offensive support he would need in the fourth inning when the Owls scored five runs. Curtis Van Wyck, Andrew Martin, and Tyler Stubblefield all had RBIs in the inning.
After a sacrifice fly by Van Wyck in the fifth made it 6-0 for KSU, two homers in the span of three batters extended the lead to nine. With one out, Stubblefield connected for a solo shot over the wall in right. After an infield hit by Jacob Robbins, Martin Baker launched a two-run blast out to right center to make it 9-0.
Stubblefield completed the scoring in the seventh with an RBI single. The sophomore finished game one 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
A Canton, Ga., native, Jenkins (5-5) was sharp in picking up the first and only complete-game shutout of the season by an Owls pitcher. He needed just 75 pitches, allowing five hits while striking out six Dolphins. Jenkins completed the season with an earned run average of 3.96, the lowest for any KSU starter.
In game two, the Owls led 2-0 after an inning and a half before Jacksonville (27-29, 13-20) took a 3-2 lead on a three-run homer by Matt Lopez.
KSU would respond in the fifth with three runs of its own. Fowlkes had the big hit when his shot into right center went under the glove of a diving Kevin Ferreira and rolled to the wall. Jay Morrow and Van Wyck scored on the hit, putting KSU ahead 4-3.
One batter later, Ross Tendler singled into left. Fowlkes raced home from second with the third run of the inning, making it 5-3.
KSU wasn't done yet, scoring three more runs in the sixth. Singles by Jace Whitmer, Van Wyck, and Tendler each brought home runs to pad KSU's cushion.
After a lengthy rain delay, Jacksonville scored two runs in the sixth on a home run by Jeremy Gillan. Gillan would strike again in the ninth, hitting his second homer of the game, this one a solo shot, to pull JU within a pair.
But that would be as close as the Dolphins got. With two men on in the ninth, Adam Fine came in for the Owls in relief and retired the final two batters of the game, earning his second save of the season and giving KSU the sweep.
Bubba Blalock (2-2) earned the win for KSU, allowing three runs in five innings of work.
The Owls were picked to finish second in the Atlantic Sun and will finish in that position, the highest spot KSU has finished since joining the conference. The Owls had never finished above .500 in conference play as members of Division I until this season.
Robbins finished the season with 76 hits, the most for an Owl in Division I play. He earned the 200th hit of his career with a double in the first inning of game two.
Morrow, who skipped graduation on Tuesday night to play with his team against Jacksonville State, finished with a career-high .350 batting average for the season. He topped 70 hits in a season for the first tme in his career, finishing 2008 with 71.
The sweep of Jacksonville was the first for KSU in team history. The sweep also prevented the Dolphins from qualifying for the A-Sun Tournament next week. Four of the top six schools in the A-Sun, including KSU, are ineligible for the A-Sun Tournament due to NCAA reclassification guidelines.
