By: KSU Sports Information
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KENNESAW, Ga. – In one of the most unbelievable comebacks in Kennesaw State baseball history, senior
Jordan Craft sent the Owls into a mass celebration as his walk-off double in the bottom of the tenth inning gave KSU a 9-8 win over Belmont on Friday night.
The win improves Kennesaw State to 25-16 (11-5 A-Sun) for the season, while the loss drops the Bruins to 26-15 (11-5 A-Sun) on the year. The victory also moves the Black and Gold into a tie with Belmont for first place in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings.
Belmont opened the game’s scoring in the top of the first inning as it jumped on KSU starting pitcher
Josh Carr for three runs on three hits. However, the Owls closed the gap to 3-2 in the bottom of the second inning with a RBI triple by
Will Howard and a RBI sacrifice fly by
Max Pentecost.
With the Black and Gold now trailing 6-3 after six innings, the Bruins knocked Carr out of the game in the top of the seventh as they scored two more runs off the Snellville, Ga. native. Carr’s line for the night was seven innings pitched giving up eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits. The senior struck out seven batters and walked two as well.
With the score remaining at 8-3 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, Kennesaw State began to mount its comeback.
Peyton Hart, who went 4-for-4 in the game, started the inning off with a double to left center. With Hart now standing on third base with two outs,
Andy Chriscaden hit a RBI triple to left center making the score 8-4. Howard followed that up with an RBI double of his own scoring Chriscaden to make it a three-run game. A Pentecost RBI single, and a
Chris McGowan RBI double, brought the score to 8-7 after the inning finally ended. The Black and Gold recorded four extra base hits in the frame to get back into game.
Senior
Aaron Dobbs sent the crowd at Stillwell Stadium into a wild frenzy as he hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the score at 8-8. The blast erased what was a five-run Belmont lead and it sent the game into extra innings.
After the Bruins failed to score in the top of the tenth, Howard led off the bottom of the frame will a leadoff walk. After a fly out and a strikeout, Howard was still standing on first base as the stage was set for Craft. The Kennesaw, Ga. native got a pitch he liked and drilled it off the left field wall scoring Howard all the way from first base sending his team in a wild celebration as Kennesaw State walked off with the 9-8 win.
“That was a great game to be a part of,” Craft said. “I am happy that I could come through tonight, but this team is special we never give up and tonight was a great example of that.”
Kennesaw State will play the second game of the series tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. with senior
Zak Griffith getting the start. Saturday will also by Youth Baseball Day as all youth league members will be able to get into the game for free.
