By: by Jason Hanes
NASHVILLE - Josh Whitaker's solo home run to left field in the top of the 11th capped the scoring in the second game of a doubleheader as the Kennesaw State baseball team rallied to defeat Lipscomb, 12-11, in 11 innings to salvage the third game of the Atlantic Sun Conference series between the two teams. In game one, Peyton Hart went 3-for-4 with a double, but only two other Owls were able to get hits as a five-run third inning doomed the the Owls to a 6-0 loss at Dugan Field.
The Owls (14-20, 5-7) trailed 9-6 before a wild rally gave the Owls a 10-9 lead in the seventh. KSU loaded the bases with no one out, but Tyler Stubblefield grounded into a double play. Still, a run came home to cut the deficit to just two. After a walk to Hart, Whitaker singled into right, scoring Brandon Brown to cut the lead to one. Ronnie Freeman followed with an RBI single to tie the score, 9-9.
With two men out in the inning and Clint Roques at the plate, both Whitaker and Freeman took off on a double steal. The throw by Lipscomb catcher Matt Brewer went wildly into left field, allowing Whitaker to race home with the go-ahead run. Bisons head coach Jeff Forehand vehemently argued for 15 minutes what Lipscomb felt was the improper reversal of an interference call on Roques, but the argument went to no avail as the Owls had gained the lead.
Lipscomb rallied to regain the advantage, 11-10, in the bottom of the eighth on back-to-back RBI singles by Tyler Wilson and Lee Wilson. Still, the Owls were able to come off the deck in the ninth to tie the score. With two men on and two men out, Roques delivered a single to right, scoring pinch runner Sean McClurken to tie the score.
That set the stage for Whitaker's heroics. The junior turned on a 1-2 offering from Chad Fromm (1-5) for a solo homer over the wall in left to lead off the 11th. For the second straight weekend, a solo home run by Whitaker would prove to be the difference, as the Owls right fielder hit a shot over the Bailey Building in game two of the Belmont series in Kennesaw April 2.
J.B. Johnson went 3.2 innings, getting three straight ground outs to Stubblefield in the bottom of the 11th to secure the win. The junior improved to a staff-best 5-0 on the season.
The Owls jumped on the scoreboard first, with Freeman lifting a sacrifice fly to right to score Stubblefield in the top of the first inning. Three more runs crossed the plate in the second for the Owls. With the bases loaded, Stubblefield earned an RBI when he legged out a potential double play ball, scoring Brandon Brown. When the throw to get Stubblefield at first went wide, Drew Fowlkes came home to score. Two batters later, Whitaker singled through the left side of the Bisons infield, scoring Stubblefield.
The Bisons scored four runs in the third to close the gap, but KSU answered in the sixth with two of its own. Stubblefield led off the inning with a home run to left - his team-best seventh of the season - and Roques later in the inning lifted a sacrifice fly to score Hart.
Lipscomb (12-21, 4-5) would respond with six runs in the bottom of the sixth, setting the stage for a crazy final five innings.
In game one, Hart, Freeman, and Roques were the only Owls to reach base with hits, as for the second straight game, a Lipscomb starter kept KSU at bay. Davey Hackett (3-3) went all nine innings in earning the win for the Bisons, striking out eight batters and walking just two men.
Lipscomb got all the runs it would need in the third. The Bisons sent 10 men up to bat in the inning, with doubles by Cory Hale and Zach Messer providing two of the biggest blows, chasing KSU starter Josh Carr (1-1) in the process. A solo home run by Lee Wilson to lead off the fifth gave Lipscomb its last run on the scoreboard.
KSU will return to action this Tuesday as it plays host to Jacksonville State. First pitch at Stillwell Stadium is set for 6 p.m.
