May 2, 2009
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. - Ric Bishop and Jace Whitmer combined for three homers and nine RBIs, while Chad Jenkins earned his seventh win of the season in his fourth complete game as Kennesaw State bested Jacksonville, 11-4, on Saturday afternoon in game two of an Atlantic Sun Conference series. The Owls lost game one, 2-1, in 15 innings in a continuation of a suspended game from Friday.
Jenkins was sharp once again, though his scoreless innings streak was finally snapped after 41 consecutive innings. By the time Jenkins finally allowed a run, the Owls firmly had the contest in hand. Bishop picked up his first RBI of the contest when his single to left scored Jacob Robbins in the opening frame. One inning later, Whitmer drilled a two-run homer over the 400-foot mark in center field, giving KSU (26-18, 16-6) a 3-0 lead.
The score stayed the same until the fifth, when Bishop led off the inning with a towering home run to dead center. With two gone in the frame, Whitmer's double high off the Bailey Building in left brought home Martin Baker, giving KSU a 5-0 advantage.
KSU salted the game away in the sixth inning with five runs. With one man out, Bishop sent the first pitch from JU reliever Brian Gilroy over the wall in right for a three-run homer, giving the Owls an 8-0 lead. Later in the inning, the Owls loaded the bases with two men out for Curtis Van Wyck. The senior infielder delivered with a two-run single through the right side of the JU infield, giving KSU a 10-0 lead.
A little luck enabled Jacksonville (29-13, 17-8) to score their runs and end the streak of Jenkins. A tailor-made double play ball with no one out in the inning was booted, enabling the Dolphins to get two men on with no one out. After a fly out to right, a single through the right side by Alex Swenson brought home the streak-ending run. Jenkins would walk the next batter, ending his streak without allowing a walk at 24.2 innings, and Jacksonville would score three unearned runs to end the frame.
"The streak meant a lot to me, it really did," Jenkins said. "Especially with how poorly I pitched at Stetson before the streak began. But the defense behind me and Jace calling great games behind the plate were a big part of the reason I had the streak for as long as I did. I really have to take my hat off to them.
"I liked the streak, but I like wins more," Jenkins concluded, who won his seventh game of the season and lowered his conference-leading ERA to 2.16.
"After the way the first game ended, I was glad to see our guys get going at the plate," KSU head coach Mike Sansing said. "Chad really set the tone for us early, and our guys picked up on it."
The first game of the day was the conclusion of Friday night's suspended contest. In what proved to be the longest game in KSU history, the Owls fell 2-1.
A game off missed opportunities for both teams, the Owls and the Dolphins both left 16 men on base. No three runners left on were more painful for KSU than in the 14th inning, as KSU loaded the bases with two men out, but couldn't get the winning run across the plate.
In the 15th, Dan Maier's pinch-hit single brought home the game winning run for the Dolphins.
Kenny Faulk (6-4) took the loss for the Owls, giving up two hits and a run in two innings. Ryan Rodebaugh picked up from the spot he left off last night, going five innings and striking out nine batters.
Billy Schlee (2-2) worked five innings to get the win for Jacksonville.
The two teams will meet in the rubber game of the set Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m.
