By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score
STATESBORO, Ga. – The Kennesaw State baseball team dropped a hard-fought, non-conference matchup to Georgia Southern, 3-2, on Tuesday night at J.I. Clements Stadium.
The loss drops Kennesaw State to 19-15 for the season, while the win improves Georgia Southern to 19-15 on the year. The loss also brings KSU’s record on Tuesday’s this year to a mark of 2-3.
The first three innings of the game were a pitcher’s duel as both teams only combined for four hits in a 0-0 game.
Georgia Southern opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning as it led off the frame with a batter getting hit by a pitch and a single to put runners on first and third. Kennesaw State’s starting pitcher
Kevin McCoy then induced a double play, but a runner scored on the play to make the score 1-0. The Owls eventually got out of the inning after a fly out.
McCoy got a little unlucky again in the bottom of the fifth inning as he struck out the first two batters of the inning, but two errors in the field wound up costing him. An error kept the inning alive for the Eagles who then had another batter get hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Georgia Southern’s Eric Phillips then hit an RBI single to right to make the score 2-0. GSU extended its lead to 3-0 after another error by KSU, but McCoy recorded his third strikeout of the inning to limit any more damage.
Kennesaw State got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning as it got an RBI double from freshman
Max Pentecost scoring junior
Ronnie Freeman from third base to make the score, 3-1.
In his second start of the season, McCoy pitched a very solid game as he threw a total of 109 pitches in his outing only giving up one earned run on six hits in 6.1 innings pitched. The Gainesville, Fla. native struck out seven, while only walking one.
An RBI single by redshirt-freshman
Chris McGowan brought the Owls to within 3-2 in the top of the eighth, but they couldn’t complete the comeback as KSU went down in order in the ninth.
Georgia Southern outhit Kennesaw State by a total of 8-7, and it also used six different pitchers in the game.
Kennesaw State has less than 24 hours before its next contest as it will host Alabama State at Stillwell Stadium tomorrow evening with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday night’s game will also mark the 2nd annual Diamond Dig sponsored by Shane Co. The first 300 fans 18 years of age and older will be allowed to go onto the field and search for a loose diamond following the game. Each fan wishing to participate must register prior to the fifth inning at the main gate. Each fan will receive a spoon courtesy of Shane Co.
