By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. – When Vaughn Williams, Kennesaw State’s new athletics director, threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Wednesday, the spark of a new era in KSU athletics also ignited the Owls bats, as the Black and Gold snapped their four-game losing streak with a, 14-6, win over Jacksonville State before a near capacity crowd at Stillwell Stadium.
The Owls (20-16) scored in each inning after the second, as they had their highest scoring game since Opening Weekend when they scored 17 against Ball State. Aaron Dobbs, Drew Fowlkes and Jordan Craft each had two hits and Andy Chriscaden hit his ninth home run of the year as the Owls pounded out 12 hits.
“I’m glad to see us get back to winning,” said head coach Mike Sansing. “We hit the ball well, got some good pitching and this is a good win for us to carry into this weekend.”
Catlan Kendrick (1-0) earned his first win of the year as he shut down the explosive Jacksonville State offense over five innings. The right-hander allowed just two earned runs on six hits and didn’t walk a batter in his second start of the year.
“Catlan threw really well tonight,” added Sansing. “We were really encouraged from what we saw from Joe Dean. He had been out a while and he returned tonight in the same form and rhythm he was in before.”
Dean and Jeff Brown combined to throw three hitless innings of relief, Dean throwing a pair of innings with three strikeouts while Brown struck out two batters in the eighth inning as the Owls won their 20th game of the season.
Jacksonville State (23-11) jumped out to a 2-0 lead with solo runs in the first and third innings, before Kennesaw State scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning. Ethan Herron doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning and Craft followed with a hit before Ray Anderson walked to load the bases.
A wild pitch from Gamecocks starter Bradley Raulston scored Herron to cut the deficit in half. Dobbs followed with a two-run triple to right center field, giving the Owls a 3-2 lead and Fowlkes drove in another two runs with a double down the right field line.
The Owls would add three runs in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Dobbs and a two-run home run off the scoreboard in right center field by Chriscaden. A wild pitch and an error scored two runs in the fifth as the Owls built a 10-3 lead.
Kennesaw State scored runs off all six Jacksonville State pitchers as nine different Owls had hits and six different players drove in runs. Alex Bush got his first hit of the season and drove in his first two runs of the year with a seventh-inning, pinch-hit double to the gap in right-center field.
Craft had a double and single in his second straight game and now has a three-game hitting streak while Anderson, who looped a single to left field in the first inning, extended his hitting streak to nine games.
The Owls will continue their homestand this weekend when they host Atlantic Sun Conference rival Florida Gulf Coast in a three-game series beginning on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m.
