By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. – Bryan Blough struck out a career-high 10 batters over eight and two-thirds innings of shutout ball and J.B. Johnson needed just one pitch to record the final out as Kennesaw State blanked Lipscomb, 2-0, on Saturday afternoon at Stillwell Stadium.
The Owls (13-8, 6-2 A-Sun) won their third straight game on the heels of Blough’s best career performance. The senior scattered 10 hits, nine singles and a triple, as he won for the first time this season. After not recording a strikeout until the third inning, Blough struck out the side in the fourth and fanned two batters in both the sixth and seventh innings.
“I had all three pitches working for me today and we played very good defense,” said Blough. “I was pitching with confidence and I just wanted to take it one batter at a time, because I knew each run was going to be important.”
Blough (1-1) got stronger as the game progressed and retired the side in order in the sixth and seventh innings before allowing two hits in the eighth and two in the ninth innings, before Johnson came in the game with runners on first and second and got M.L. Williams to ground to shortstop to end the game.
Kennesaw State scored in the third inning on a wild pitch and added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Drew Fowlkes doubled to right field and scored on a Bucky Smith single to center field. Smith extended his hitting streak to six games with a two-hit afternoon. The senior left fielder has raised his average from .160 to .298 over the last six games.
“It was a tremendous effort from us today with Bryan Blough,” said head coach Mike Sansing. “He established his first pitch early and then was able to make adjustments in the middle innings. I felt like he controlled the game throughout. We battled offensively and although their outfielders made some great plays to keep us out of big innings, I was glad to see us come out on top.”
Lipscomb right fielder Lee Wilson kept the game scoreless in the first inning when he crashed into the wall in right-center field and snared a fly ball off the bat of Drew Fowlkes. Wilson thumped into the wall and held the ball for the umpires to see before he stayed on the ground for nearly a minute before running off the field.
The Bisons (7-12, 0-2 A-Sun) knocked out 10 hits and stranded 10 runners in the game, but only got one runner as far as third base. Josh Chism (2-for-4) hit a two-out triple in the fifth inning and was left stranded when Richie Goodenow (2-for-4) grounded out to end the frame. Tennyson Dodd had three hits to lead the Bisons, who are winless in eight games at Stillwell Stadium.
The Owls and the Bisons will conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. The game can be followed live via live stats and can be seen on ASUN.TV beginning with the pregame show at 12:50 p.m.
