By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score I
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MACON, Ga. – Senior Josh Carr held the No. 1 ranked hitting team in the nation, Mercer, to only four hits en route to a 9-4 win in the Owls (10-8) conference opener.
One of the nations top ranked offensive teams, the Bears, who are top-five in four offensive statistical categories were held in check by Carr (4-1) as he picked up his fourth consecutive Friday night win.
Aaron Dobbs led the game off with a double to left center to open the play. Playing small ball, head coach Mike Sansing ordered Peyton Hart to bunt and advance Dobbs to third. After a successful sacrifice bunt by Hart, Dobbs scored the games first run on an Andy Almonte sac fly.
Mercer would answer back in their half of the first inning with one run on a lead off double, but the Owls would quickly erase it with another of their own in the second. After three consecutive singles by Chris McGowan, Max Pentecost and Will Howard, McGowan scored to give KSU the lead, 2-1.
The Bears would jump out in front in the bottom of the second with two runs to take the lead 3-1, but again the Owls would respond and recuperate the lead. Kennesaw would put together four successive singles in the fourth inning to take the lead 4-3. The Owls wouldn’t be through as Almonte singled for his second RBI of the game, followed by a Ronnie Freeman RBI single that put the squad up 6-3.
KSU would follow up the big fourth inning with a three run sixth inning that gave the Owls a 9-4 lead that would prove to be enough as the team took game one of the series.
The Black and Gold had their sixth straight double digit hit game, as the offensive leaders for the Owls were Almonte and Freeman who each had two RBI on one hit. Five other KSU batters registered two hits as Dobbs, McGowan Pentecost, Howard and Jacob Bruce all had a multi-hit game.
Carr was the winning pitcher, allowing only two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Senior Zak Griffith finished the Bears off with three innings of scoreless pitching, while striking out five and not allowing a hit.
Game two of the three game series is scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 p.m. E.T., as sophomore Steve Janas will be on the mound.
