March 6, 2009
Box Score
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Seniors Andrew Martin and Curtis Van Wyck each had three hits and three RBIs to help Kennesaw State's baseball team pull away for a 14-7 win over East Tennessee State in Atlantic Sun Conference action Friday night.
Junior Kyle Heckathorn (1-0) went six innings and allowed three earned runs while striking out 10 to earn the victory for the Owls, who scored seven runs in the final three innings.
ETSU (4-3, 0-1) scored two runs in the first, but the Owls came back with a run in the second on Van Wyck's second home run of the season. An inning later, the Owls surged ahead with six runs as KSU (4-4, 2-1) batted around. Jace Whitmer started the scoring with a sacrifice fly, scoring Tyler Stubblefield. Two batters later, a Jon White single with the bases loaded scored Ric Bishop to give KSU a 3-2 lead. With the bases still full of Owls, Martin singled through the left side of the ETSU infield, scoring Van Wyck. Two batters later, Martin Baker struck the biggest blow with a two-run single to right. A wild pitch would then bring home Martin with the sixth run of the inning, giving KSU a 7-2 lead.
The Bucs chipped away with a run in the third, then scored four unearned runs in the sixth, with Ben Allen connecting for a three-run homer to tie the score, 7-7.
The Owls used some two-out magic in the seventh to pull ahead. With the bases loaded, Martin drove home what would prove to be the game-winning runs with a two-run single through the infield. Jordan Craft followed with a single to left, scoring Josh Whitaker to put KSU up 10-7.
Stubblefield led off the eighth with a double, then moved to third on a Ric Bishop ground out. After an intentional walk to Whitmer, Van Wyck completed his three RBI night with a double to left, scoring both KSU runners to give the Owls a five-run cushion. Two batters later, an ETSU error allowed Van Wyck to trot home with KSU's 13th run.
The scoring came to an end for the Owls when Whitmer singled through the right side of the ETSU infield to drive in Craft with the final run of KSU's 14-7 win.
Justin Edwards earned his first save of the year with three perfect innings of scoreless relief of Heckathorn. Heckathorn allowed seven runs, with only three earned, in six innings. The Ringgold, Ga., native allowed just six hits while throwing a season-high 109 pitches.
Van Wyck, Martin, and Craft each had three hits for KSU. The Owls had 16 hits for the game.
The two teams will wrap up the series with a doubleheader Saturday, starting at 1:00 p.m.
