By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score I
Live Stats
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – For the first time this season the Kennesaw State baseball team scored in the first inning, and it wouldn’t stop there, as the 1-2-3 hitters combined to go 11-for-15 including a five hit performance from
Aaron Dobbs en route to a, 13-3, win over Jacksonville State.
Joining Dobbs in the offensive attack was
Peyton Hart and
Will Howard who each had four hits as the three merged to collect 13 of the Owls (4-5) 20 hits.
While the offense had their best performance of the season at the plate against the Gamecocks, Owls starter
Josh Carr had a respectable outing on the mound, tossing seven innings and striking out seven batters. The senior picked up his second win of the season and snapped the Black and Gold’s three game losing streak.
The Owls got right to work in the first inning as an altered lineup saw Aaron Dobbs lead off with a single, then steal second base before scoring on a double down the left field line by Peyton Hart to give the squad a 1-0 lead.
JSU (1-6) would come right back in the bottom of the second with two runs to take back the lead, as the Gamecocks opened the inning with back-to-back singles before the Owls committed two errors that would plate two runs.
Kennesaw State would open the game up in the fourth inning, scoring five runs on four hits. Right fielder
Chris McGowan would lead the inning off with a double to right field. Followed by one of Howard’s three doubles on the afternoon that scored McGowan from second, the next three batters for KSU would each plate a run as both Dobbs and Hart singled, and Almonte hit into a fielder's choice that put the Owls on top, 6-2.
After getting two more runs in the sixth inning and allowing another JSU run to score in the bottom half of the inning, KSU would have another five run inning in the eighth. Dobbs led off with his first homerun of the season to put the Owls up 7-2. Hart would single, Almonte reached on an error and
Ronnie Freeman loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch. Two pitches later,
Andy Chriscaden would connect with his second homerun of the season to hit a grand slam, earning him his team-leading 10th RBI of the season. The blast would put the game out of reach, as the bullpen came into close it out, as
Justin McCalvin and
Jacob Moore combined to pitch a hitless eighth and ninth inning to give the Black and Gold a 13-3 victory.
Dobbs ended the contest with five hits, two RBI, four runs scored and two stolen bases. Howard had four hits, including three doubles, which ties the school record, and had one RBI and one run scored. Hart had four hits, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base, while Chriscaden had two hits, five RBI and one run scored.
Game two of the series is slated for 2:00 p.m. E.T., as sophomore Steve Janas will take the mound in search of his first win. For updates throughout the game, you can follow the team on Twitter
@KSUOwlsBaseball.
