By: KSU Sports Information
Live Stats I
Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Kennesaw State baseball team took game one of a three game series versus the Memphis Tigers with an 11-7 win. Totaling 13 hits in the contest, the Black and Gold combined to score 10 runs in the mid innings to take the series opener.
After falling behind early, the Owls bats came alive in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, Andy Almonte started the rally with a single to right field that advanced Max Pentecost to second after a base on balls. Aaron Dobbs picked up his fifth RBI of the season with a single through the second base hole that was followed by a Ronnie Freeman two RBI double, which gave the Owls a 3-1 lead.
Kennesaw would see their lead fade in the top half of the third inning as the Tigers put four runs on the board to take a 5-3 advantage. Adam McClain started the inning with a one-out single and a walk followed by a hits batsmen loaded the bases for Derrick Thomas, who dribbled an infield single to bring in a run. After a wild pitch by Josh Carr that allowed Jacob Wilson to score, T.J. Rich belted a two RBI double to allow the Tigers to retake the lead.
The Black and Gold tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning with a two RBI double off the bat of Jordan Craft who later scored on a throwing error. In the fifth, a three-run home run by Will Howard and a Pentecost RBI-single to drive in Peyton Hart gave the Owls a 10-5 lead.
KSU would add one more run in the sixth inning as Dobbs led off with a double to right center and later scored on an Andy Chriscaden sacrifice fly. Giving the Owls starter Carr enough to work with, the senior collected his first win of the season giving up four earned runs on seven hits.
Between Carr’s fourth and fifth inning performance and Zak Griffith’s relief, the pitching staff sat down 14 of 15 Tiger batters. Memphis would eventually touch up Griffith for two runs in the eighth, but head coach Mike Sansing would once again call on the bullpen as Justin McCalvin would get them team out of the inning before James Connell closed out the game in the ninth.
The team will return to the diamond on Saturday for game two of the series at 3:00 p.m. E.T., as they are riding a three game winning streak that has included 31 runs scored and 32 hits. Game three between the two schools will be on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. E.T.
