April 21, 2009
Box Score
ATHENS, Ga. - Clint Roques' two-run home run in the top of the eighth brought the Owls within a run, but No. 1 Georgia responded with three solo homers in the bottom half of the inning to pull away for an 11-7 win over Kennesaw State Tuesday afternoon at Foley Field.
KSU (21-15) trailed 8-5 entering the eighth inning, but the Owls chipped away at the lead. Martin Baker doubled off the wall in center, then scored on Bucky Smith's single to center. After a pitching change, Roques lifted a 1-1 offering into the parking lot beyond the left center field wall, cutting the deficit to one, 8-7.
Unfortunately for the Owls, Levi Hyams and Matt Cerione hit back-to-back solo homers to start the bottom of the inning. One batter later, Rich Poythress connected for his third homer of the day, giving the Bulldogs (32-8) an 11-7 advantage.
Georgia scored the first run of the game on a homer to dead center by Colby May. The Owls tied the score one inning later when Baker singled, stole second, and scored on a double by Roques to left center.
Peter Verdin homered to start the third for UGA, and after a double by May, Poythress hit his first homer of the game to give the Bulldogs a 4-1 lead.
The lead swelled to four for Georgia after the fifth, but the Owls answered with a run in the sixth on Andrew Martin's RBI single to center. Georgia tacked on an unearned run in the sixth.
The seventh and the eighth proved to be wild, as both teams scored five runs. In the seventh, Roques walk, then advanced to third on a single to right by Jacob Robbins. Tyler Stubblefield's slow-roller off the end of the bat made it into right field, scoring Roques and sending Robbins to third with KSU down 6-3. Ric Bishop came within five feet of tying the game, but his deep drive to center was caught at the wall. The sacrifice fly scored Robbins to move KSU within two, 6-4.
Georgia answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning as with the bases loaded, a throwing error by Kenny Faulk resulted in a pair of runs for the Bulldogs, putting the home team up 8-4 and setting the stage for the dramatics of the eighth.
Kyle Clayton (0-1) took the loss for the Owls, allowing four runs on seven hits in two innings. For the game, the Bulldogs hit six homers off KSU pitching.
Cecil Tanner (3-0) earned the win, allowing a run on three hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
KSU had 12 hits on the afternoon, with Roques leading the way with three. Robbons, Stubblefield, and Baker each had two.
The Owls will be back in action this Friday when they take on Belmont in the first two games of an important Atlantic Sun Conference series. First pitch in Nashville is set for 3:00 p.m.
