May 14, 2009
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - For the third consecutive series, Kennesaw State's baseball team played an extra-inning game in the opener, but for the first time, the Owls came out with a victory as KSU defeated North Florida, 6-5, in 11 innings. Kyle Heckathorn set a Kennesaw State Division I record with 15 strikeouts in the game.
UNF scored four runs in the first inning off of Heckathorn, but the junior buckled down to keep the Ospreys off the board for the rest of his nine innings of work. At one point, seven consecutive outs Heckathorn recorded were via the strikeout. Only one of the 27 outs the Ringgold, Ga., native got came via a fly ball, and even that was on a line drive to third. The 15 strikeouts is the most for an Atlantic Sun Conference baseball player in at least the past three seasons.
Still, the Owls trailed 4-0 entering the sixth inning, but the Owls got on the board with an unearned run as Jace Whitmer lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Jacob Robbins.
In the eighth, the Owls tied the score at 4-all. After back-to-back singles by Robbins and Jon White, Tyler Stubblefield's 19th double of the year scored White to cut the deficit to two. Ric Bishop followed with a sacrifice fly to right to score Robbins and trim the lead to one. Needing a big hit, Whitmer came through with a single through the left side, plating Stubblefield with the tying run.
The game went to extra frames with the Owls getting on the board in the top of the 10th. With two men out, Whitmer came up with his third RBI of the game when his single to right scored Robbins.
The Owls (29-21, 19-8) were unable to hold the lead though as the Ospreys loaded the bases with three straight hits to start the inning. A sacrifice fly by Kyle Dahl tied the score, but Kenny Faulk (7-4) came back to get a pop out for the second out, then battled through a nine pitch at bat to strike out Steve Hillan with the bases loaded to end the inning.
KSU scored again in the 11th as with the bases loaded, Josh Whitaker was able to beat out a potential double play ball at first, allowing Andrew Martin to score with what proved to be the game winning RBI.
UNF threatened again in the bottom of the inning, but after back-to-back singles to start the inning, Ryan Rodebaugh came in to get the final three outs of the game, earning his second save of the year and giving KSU a much-needed win.
The Owls were able to stay alive in the race for the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship as Florida Gulf Coast's contest with Stetson was rained out. The Owls must sweep both games of tomorrow afternoon's doubleheader with the Ospreys and FGCU must lose all three games of its series in order to claim the title.
