By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score
Live Stats I
A-Sun TV I
All Access
DELAND, Fla. – The Kennesaw State Baseball team had to work overtime on Thursday afternoon, but captured a 3-1 win over the No. 1 seeded Belmont Bruins at Melching Field at Conrad Park to win the programs first-ever Division I postseason game.
KSU found themselves on the brink of elimination and called on junior
Kevin Kyle who delivered a gem performance to put the Owls in position to advance on to round three. Kyle pitched seven innings with out allowing an earned run and only gave up five hits while his offense put three on the board versus Bruins starter Matt Hamann.
Hamann entered the game with a 3-1 record against the Owls and dominated the Black and Gold earlier this season en route to an 11-1 Belmont win. Able to get to him early,
Ronnie Freeman notched the first RBI of the game in the fourth inning when he roped a single into left field and scored
Aaron Dobbs who led off the inning with a single.
The Bruins would even the score at one a piece in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Owls defense would commit three errors in the frame to allow the only Belmont run in the contest.
With the game knotted at 1-1,
Ethan Herron laced a single over the second baseman’s head that plated
Max Pentecost and gave the squad a 2-1 advantage. The Owls would add an insurance run in the eighth inning on a Pentecost single before
Zak Griffith would close the door and secure a 3-1 victory.
Griffith polished off the Bruins with two innings pitched while allowing only one hit. Both he and Kyle combined to give the squad the dominant pitching performance they needed after an unsettling first round loss, while Freeman led the Owls offense with a two-for-four afternoon from the dish, collecting his second RBI of tournament.
Kennesaw State looks to move on to the final round, as they will return to action on Friday at 3 p.m. E.T., as the squad will face No. 6 Stetson. Free video on Atlantic Sun TV will be provided courtesy of Stetson University. All Access will provide free audio as Nathan McCreary and Brian Harper will be describing all the action. For updates throughout the game, you can follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlsBaseball.
