By: by Jason Hanes
KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State's baseball team suffered a big setback Saturday afternoon at Stillwell Stadium, falling to Mercer, 11-4 and 15-8, and losing all three games in an important Atlantic Sun Conference series between the two schools.
"In the first game, we had chances but we just couldn't put anymore runs across the board and Mercer was able to get the big hits," said KSU head coach Mike Sansing. "In game two, we just got behind too much, too big, too soon."
Freshman Ronnie Freeman extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a 2-for-5 performance in game one and a 3-for-5 performance in the nightcap. The freshman had five RBIs in the doubleheader, including a three-run home run in the ninth inning of the finale off the scoreboard in right center.
The Owls (18-26, 7-11) led the first game 4-2 after scoring a run in the second on a Drew Fowlkes solo home run, Freeman's two-run single, and a bases loaded hit by pitch issued to Jordan Craft. The Bears were able to limit the damage and eventually take the lead in the sixth, taking advantage of a costly KSU error to put three runs on the board. Mercer kept piling on, scoring a run in the seventh, three runs in the eighth, and a single run in the ninth to salt the game away.
Starter Josh Carr (2-2) took the loss for the Owls while reliever Jacob Matthews improved to 3-0 with the win for the Bears. J.T. Odom pitched 3.1 innings of relief for his fourth save of the year.
In the finale, the Bears touched up KSU starter Micah Sales for seven runs in the first, tacking on an eighth against reliever Catlan Kendrick. Mercer (28-20, 12-9) stretched its lead to 14-1 in the fifth before the Owls answered with a pair on back-to-back solo home runs by Josh Whitaker and Fowlkes.
Mercer tacked on a run in the eighth but the Owls rallied for four in the ninth to make the score respectable. With two men out, Whitaker and Fowlkes walked before Freeman's home run to right center. Singles by Joe Gorley and Bucky Smith enabled Brandon Brown to deliver an RBI single to cap the scoring.
Justice French (2-3) earned the win with five innings of work while Sales was saddled with his first loss of the year in his first decision.
After breaking for finals, the Owls will be back in action this Friday in Jacksonville, Fla., as they take on the Jacksonville Dolphins. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.
