By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. – Andy Chriscaden homered and Zac Griffith threw six shutout innings as Kennesaw State defeated Savannah State, 7-3, on Tuesday evening at Stillwell Stadium.
The Owls (16-11) remained undefeated in six games against Savannah State as they jumped ahead with a run in the bottom of the second inning. Chriscaden led off the inning with a double, Peyton Hart was hit by a pitch and Ethan Herron reached on a bunt single in front of home plate to load the bases. A wild pitch scored the games first run before starter Andrew Garren pitched out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts and foul out, stranding the bases loaded.
Chriscaden gave the Owls a, 3-0, lead when he hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. His team-leading sixth home run was a towering fly ball that cleared the left-field fence between the Bailey Building and the left field foul pole. The junior, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games, has hit a home run in back-to-back games for the second time this season and has homered in three of his last four games.
“We got another good game from Andy,” said head coach Mike Sansing. “He has been hitting the ball well all season and the home run tonight got things going for us.”
Kennesaw State added a run in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Aaron Dobbs and two in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run double by Ronnie Freeman. The Owls closed out their scoring in the bottom of the eighth when Chris Wages drove in his first run of the season with a double to left field.
Griffith (5-1) cruised through six innings as he allowed just five hits while matching his season-high with six strikeouts. Griffith only allowed one runner past second base and retired the side in order twice and put down seven batters in a row in a stretch from the third through sixth innings.
“Zac pitched well tonight and had everything working,” added Sansing. “I thought everyone threw well and Jeff [Brown] came in late and did a good job in getting the final out.”
Brown earned his first save of the year as he recorded the final out of the game as Savannah State scored a run and had runners on first and third before he was able to get the pesky Cordarian Robertson to fly out to center field to end the game.
The Owls will be back in action this weekend when they open up a three game series against Southern Illinois. The series begins on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m.
