By: KSU Sports Information
KENNESAW, Ga. – Drew Fowlkes lined a two-out, run-scoring single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth to highlight a two-run inning, and give Kennesaw State a, 6-5, win over Southern Illinois on Saturday afternoon at Stillwell Stadium.
The Owls (17-12) rallied back from a 5-1, seventh-inning deficit as they scored five unanswered runs over their final three at-bats. The Black and Gold scored a run in the bottom of the seventh, before scoring twice in the eighth and again in the ninth for their first walk-off win since Opening Day.
Trailing by a run in the ninth, Aaron Dobbs (2-for-5) led off with an infield hit before a bit of fortune helped ignite the game-winning rally. Ronnie Freeman (2-for-5) lined to second base where Brook Harding jumped to snare the softly hit liner, as he tried to double off Dobbs at first base, the throw flew past first baseman Wes Neece as Dobbs hustled to second base.
Andy Chriscaden (1-for-4) extended his hitting streak to 11 games when he grounded a single in between shortstop and third base into left field where head coach Mike Sansing aggressively waved Dobbs home for the game-tying run.
An error by third baseman Blake Pinnon on a Peyton Hart grounder to third base put runners on the corner before another bit of fortune turned the game further in Kennesaw State’s direction.
Ethan Herron grounded sharply to third base where Pinnon fielder the two-hopper, but instead of going straight to second base for a potential inning ending double play, he reached for Chriscaden who alertly bluffed towards home, resulting in a missed double play chance which kept the inning alive for Fowlkes’ game-winning hit.
“He started me off with a curve ball that missed,” said an elated Fowlkes on his dramatic at-bat. “I knew he would come back with a fastball, which he did, and I just took it back up the middle.”
The Kennesaw State comeback started in the seventh inning when Dobbs doubled to left field on a full-count pitch with two outs. Freeman then connected on a double to left–center field to make the score, 5-2.
Jordan Craft hit a two-run triple to center field in the eighth inning to cut the Southern Illinois lead to 5-4 headed into the final inning. Craft had three hits in the game and missed hitting for the cycle by a home run. The junior had his first three-hit game since Feb. 27 when he went 3-for-4 against Memphis.
“Winning a game like this is a great confidence boast for us,” added Fowlkes. “We’ve struggled a bit recently, but we have such a talented group of guys who never give up and today proved that.”
Bryan Blough started for the Owls and went six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits. Alan Busenitz, Caden Ferguson, Catlan Kendrick and J.B. Johnson combined to shut down the Salukis (7-18) over the final three innings.
“Our pitchers did a great job of keeping us in the game and gave us the opportunity to work our way back,” said Kennesaw State head coach Mike Sansing. “Everyone who threw today pitched well and was instrumental in this win.”
Southern Illinois scored twice in the first and once in the second inning and built a 3-1 lead after three innings. Blough, however, settled in and allowed only three hits over his final four innings of work. The right-hander pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth inning when he got Nick Johnson to ground out to second base.
Ferguson pitched the Owls out of a jam in the eighth inning when, with runners on first and second, he got Chris Murphy (2-for-5) to fly out and struck out Neece (3-for-5) swinging. The Owls got more clutch relief work in the ninth when J.B. Johnson (2-1) pitched out of a two-on, one-out situation, getting a groundout and striking out Pinnon to end the ninth.
The teams combined to make six errors, which led to five unearned runs. Three Kennesaw state errors led to one unearned run while three Southern Illinois errors over the final two innings led to four unearned runs.
The rubber game of the three-game series is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. The game can be followed via live stats at www.ksuowls.com.
