By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State baseball team trailed the entire game until the ninth inning, as the Owls would score three runs, including a
Max Pentecost walk-off single that gave the Owls a 7-6 win and a series sweep over Georgia State.
"We kept the game where it was attainable and where we would only need a couple of good innings,” head coach
Mike Sansing said. “Our defense kept us in the game and overall, it was one of our better wins in our programs history. We kept battling and put ourselves in position to win it and we did it.”
GSU would jump out to an early lead, as they would plate six runs in the first three innings to knock Owls starter Kevin Kyle from the game.
Kennesaw would wait until the seventh inning to score their first run as
Kody Belcher led off the inning with a walk and scored from first on a double to the left center wall by
Aaron Dobbs. Dobbs would steal third and come home on a
Peyton Hart sacrifice fly to bring the score to 6-2.
With one out in the inning,
Andy Almonte would reach on a walk and advance to third on a
Ronnie Freeman single. Clean up batter
Andy Chriscaden would single up the middle to bring Almonte in to score, and cut the Owls deficit in half, 6-3. After a walk to
Chris McGowan that loaded the bases, pinch hitter Alex Bush walked to score Freeman from third.
In the top of the ninth, Almonte would again lead off with a walk, and advanced to third on a Freeman single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Chriscaden would walk to load the bases and bring McGowan to the plate. On the second pitch, McGowan ripped a single up the middle to score Almonte and put the Owls down by one.
With two strikes in the count,
Will Howard hit a slow roller for an infield single that scored Freeman and tied the game 6-6. Freshman Max Pentecost would enter the batters box after entering the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. On a one and one count, Pentecost roped a hanging slider over the right fielders glove for the Owls second consecutive walk-off hit.
The win brings the Owls 8-7 on the season as they get set for two more home games this week, versus the University of Alabama Birmingham and Presbyterian.
Offensive leaders for the Black and Gold were McGowan and Freeman who each had three hits.
James Connell entered the game in the eighth inning to pick up his second consecutive win and his third total on the season.
Kennesaw will return to the diamond with a home game against UAB on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. E.T., followed by Presbyterian on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.
