By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sean McClurken had three hits and drove in three runs to lead a 14-hit Kennesaw State attack as the Owls beat North Florida, 10-4, in the first game of a three-game series at Harmon Stadium on Friday night.
Kennesaw State (28-21, 14-10 A-Sun) had four players with multi-hit games as they jumped ahead of Belmont for third place in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings. The loss ensured the Ospreys would finish the conference season with no better than a .500 record.
North Florida (25-23, 13-15 A-Sun) took the lead with a pair of unearned runs in the second inning. However, Owls starter Josh Carr (5-5) was not affected by the early scoring, as the only other run he allowed came on a solo home run in the fifth inning by T.J. Gavlik.
Carr struck out seven batters and walked just two batters over eight innings as he evened his season record. Twice he retired the side in order and he induced three double plays as he left five runners on base, two coming off errors.
“I thought Josh really did a good job of keeping us in the game early,” said Kennesaw State head coach Mike Sansing. “We had some defensive plays that put us in a bind early and he was able to get us out of the jams. After the second inning he really settled in, battled through and got a ground ball or a strikeout when he needed it.”
The Owls wasted no time answering the Ospreys second inning scoring, as they took the lead back in the top of the third. Chris Wages, a last minute addition to the starting lineup, began the three-run frame with a one-out single. McClurken followed with a base hit through the right side that extended his hitting streak to 13 games.
With two outs, Ronnie Freeman (3-for-4) doubled down the left field line scoring Wages, and cutting the Ospreys lead in half. Andy Chriscaden (2-for-5) and Peyton Hart (3-for-4) followed with run scoring singles as the Owls took back the lead.
Chriscaden came up with another big hit in the fifth inning when he smashed a one-out, two-run, double to the gap in right-center field scoring McClurken and Aaron Dobbs. The junior first baseman now has a team-high 62 runs batted in on the year.
The Owls put the game out of reach with a run in the seventh, three runs in the eighth and a solo run in the ninth inning. Freeman drove in the run in the seventh inning, while McClurken ripped a bases-loaded, three-run double to the wall in right-center field in the eighth as he secured his ninth multi-hit game during his 13-game hitting streak.
“Offensively we strung together some good innings,” added Sansing. “McClurken had a really good night. He just seems to be barreling balls up one after another. He has a very good approach at the plate and he’s been the key to most of our big innings lately.”
The Owls and the Ospreys will continue their three game series on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. The game can be followed via live stats and can also be heard live at www.ksuowls.com.
