March 21, 2009
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State earned a series win over Southern Utah with a 7-2 victory on Saturday afternoon in game two of a doubleheader. In game one, the Owls fell 5-4.
KSU (9-9) got all the runs it would need in the first inning as five Owls touched home plate. Walks to Bucky Smith and Jacob Robbins were followed by a bunt single by Tyler Stubblefield. Ric Bishop laced a two-run double to right, to put the Owls on top. Ross Tendler reached on a throwing error to load the bases again, and Jon White followed with a two-run single to left, pushing the lead to 4-0. After a secrifice bunt resulted in the first out of the inning, Jordan Craft's sacrifice fly scored Tendler to give KSU a 5-0 lead it would never relinquish.
Southern Utah (10-9) got on the board in the fourth but it was answered in the bottom of the inning when Tendler was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Smith, making the score 6-1.
The Thunderbirds added a run in the sixth, but again, the Owls would answer. Jacob Robbins singled to right to start the inning, then moved to third after two wild pitches. With one out, Bishop hit a chopper to first. Robbins sprinted for home, and when the throw was wild, the Owls had their seventh and final run of the game and Bishop had his third RBI.
Brad Long was sharp in earning the win for KSU. Long worked seven innings, giving up two unearned runs while walking a batter and strking out six. Kenny Faulk pitched the final two innings, striking out the side in both frames.
In game one, the Owls led early as a ground out by Curtis Van Wyck drove in a run with a ground out. In the second, KSU added to the lead as Robbins drove in a pair with a two-out, bases loaded single.
Southern Utah trimmed the lead to one in the sixth when Ray Wright connected for a two-run homer to right-center. Stubblefield answered in the bottom of the inning when he launched a solo homer onto the roof of the Bailey Building in left, putting KSU back up 4-2.
In the sixth, with KSU starter Ryan Rodebaugh out after striking out 11 batters in five innings of work, the Thunderbirds took the lead off of the KSU bullpen. After scoring a pair of runs, the game-winning run scored for the Thunderbirds when Keli'i Zablan drew a walk with the bases loaded and two men out in the inning.
The Owls had opportunities, but couldn't get the tying run across the plate. The Owls had the potential tying run on third base in the sixth, eighth, and ninth, but couldn't push across a run to knot the score.
Steve Johnson (3-2) earned the win for the Thunderbirds with seven innings of work, allowing eight hits and four runs (three earned) while walking three and fanning seven.
Adam Fine took the loss for the Owls, giving up three runs in one-third of an inning.
KSU will be back in action this Tuesday when the Owls begin a six-game road trip with a contest at Georgia Southern. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.
