By: by Jason Hanes
BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Ryan Rodebaugh pitched seven strong innings, but an unearned run in the seventh proved to be enough to hand him the loss as the Kennesaw State baseball team dropped its Atlantic Sun Conference opener to Campbell, 3-1, on Friday night at Taylor Field.
Rodebaugh allowed the Camels (13-6, 2-2) to get on the board in the first, but battery mate Ronnie Freeman responded with a solo home run to lead off the second, knotting the score at 1-1. The score stayed the same until the sixth, when Rodebaugh bobbled a ball hit back to the mound, allowing the go-ahead run to score on the error to give Campbell a 2-1 lead.
The Camels would tack on an insurance run in the eighth inning, and KSU (8-11, 0-1) was unable to do any additional damage to Campbell's hurler Frank Zier. The sophomore right-hander gave up just six hits and one run while striking out 12 Owls en route to the complete game victory, retiring the last 11 batters he faced, improving to 3-2 in the process. Rodebaugh fell to 1-2 on the year with the loss.
Freeman and Sean McClurken each had a pair of hits, while Josh Whitaker and Clint Roques had the other two base knocks for the Owls.
KSU and Campbell will return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Taylor Field in an A-Sun doubleheader.
