April 14, 2009
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Kennesaw State led 5-0 early but the Jacksonville State Gamecocks came from behind to defeat the Owls, 17-9, on Tuesday night at Rudy Abbott Field on the JSU campus in baseball action.
The Owls faced a Baseball America Preseason All-American on the mound as the Gamecocks started Ben Tootle thanks to a rain out over the weekend for JSU. Tootle worked just one inning, but the Owls were able to score a pair of runs. Jacob Robbins walked on four pitches to start the game, then Tyler Stubblefield reached on an error. With two men in scoring position, Curtis Van Wyck and Jace Whitmer each had RBI ground outs, giving the Owls a 2-0 lead.
One inning later, the lead ballooned to 5-0. With two men in scoring position, a single by Ross Tendler scored Clint Roques with KSU's third run of the game. One batter later, a safety squeeze by Jon White scored Martin Baker. Jacob Robbins then doubled to right, scoring Tendler to give the Owls a 5-0 advantage.
The Gamecocks (20-12) answered in the bottom of the inning, sending 10 men to the plate and scoring five runs to knot the score at 5-all. The Owls regained the lead in the third as Roques laced a solo homer down the line in left. But the Gamecocks would take the lead for good, scoring the next seven runs of the game to take a 12-6 lead.
The Owls (17-14) attempted to mount a comeback in the seventh as Ric Bishop connected for a two-run homer to right, cutting the deficit to four, 12-8. But Jacksonville State would score five runs in the bottom of the seventh, with the big blow coming on Jake Sharrock's bases-loaded double that scored three runs.
The Owls scored the final run of the game when Martin Baker hit a lead-off homer in the eighth inning, making the final score 17-9.
Brad Long (3-1) took the loss for KSU, giving up six earned runs in two-plus innings of work. Eight players had RBIs for the Owls in the loss, led by Bishop's two.
Jordan Beistline improved to 6-1 with 3.2 innings of relief for the win.
The two teams will wrap up the home-and-home series tomorrow evening at Stillwell Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
