By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score I
Live Stats
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Kennesaw State baseball team lost a close one in the ninth inning, 2-1 to Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday afternoon at Swanson Stadium.
Owls’ starter
Kevin Kyle took a complete game shut out into the ninth inning with a 1-0 lead as the Black and Gold scored early in the first inning on an
Andy Chriscaden sacrifice fly that plated
Andy Almonte.
Allowing only five hits through eight innings, Kyle plunked Sean Dwyer to open the ninth frame. Similar to Friday night, the Eagles elected to play small ball and bunt Dwyer into scoring position. With one out in the inning, Mike Reeves singled to put runners on the corners.
Third baseman Zack Tillery would follow with the game tying hit as he delivered a single to right field to make it a 1-1 ball game. Kennesaw State would turn to the bullpen and call on the dependable Justin McCalvin to help the Owls get into extra innings, but the Eagles would have other plans.
Alex Diaz laid down a bunt to the first base side that allowed Michael Suchy to score on a successful suicide bunt. A high-risk play that panned out for FGCU (17-25, 8-9), the Eagles secured a 2-1 win over the Owls.
Kyle was given was the loss to fall to 0-4 on the season despite throwing eight scoreless innings, while allowing seven hits, two walks and five strikeouts.
Kennesaw State (28-19, 12-8) was held to only three hits on the afternoon as Almonte,
Ronnie Freeman and Chriscaden each had one in just the Owls second conference series loss.
The squad will send Kevin McCoy (1-3, 2.23) to the mound in an attempt to salvage the series. McCoy will match-up against Brandon Bixler (2-4, 4.99) on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. For updates throughout the game, you can follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlsBaseball.
