By: by Jason Hanes
PANTHERSVILLE, Ga. - Kennesaw State outscored Georgia State 7-4 over the final five innings, but Georgia State scored 15 runs in the first four innings en route to a, 19-9, victory over the Owls Wednesday night at The Field in Panthersville.
KSU got off to a good start, taking a 2-0 lead after an RBI single by Josh Whitaker and an RBI ground out by Fowlkes. The Panthers (12-9) would take the lead though in the home half of the inning, scoring four times against KSU starter Sean Fream (0-4). Fream would give up four more runs in the second before giving way to Brad Long. Long would give up four runs in 1.1 innings, with Zak Griffith taking over and giving up three runs in the fourth, giving the Panthers a 15-2 lead.
The Owls (9-14) rallied with two runs in the sixth as Ronnie Freeman launched a towering two-run home run over the wall in left to pull KSU closer. The Owls tacked on another run in the eighth thanks to a passed ball with the bases loaded.
Reliever Jordan Dean pitched two perfect innings of relief for the Owls, and Kyle Clayton kept the Panthers off the scoreboard in the seventh; however, the Panthers scored four times off J.B. Johnson in the eighth before Johnson struck out the side to close the inning.
KSU rallied for four runs in the ninth to bring the final gap closer. After walks to Trey Malone and Peyton Hart to start the inning, Whitaker singled into right, scoring Malone with the first run. Fowlkes followed with a double into the gap in left center, scoring Hart and Whitaker. Brandon Brown closed out the scoring for the Owls with a single to center that plated Fowlkes.
The Owls will now jump back into Atlantic Sun Conference play, hitting the road to take on Florida Gulf Coast in Ft. Myers, Fla. First pitch in the three-game series will come Friday evening at 6 p.m. at Swanson Stadium
