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KENNESAW, Ga. – With a season high 19-hits and a 5-for-5 performance from sophomore
Jacob Bruce, the Kennesaw State baseball team got back to its winning ways on Friday night, taking a 14-4 win over Atlantic Sun Conference opponent Jacksonville.
The Owls struck early and often on their way to a 19-16 record and an 8-5 mark in the A-Sun with four separate players belting three hits or more in the lineup for head coach
Mike Sansing.
After Jacksonville (11-13, 4-6 A-Sun) put up three runs in the top of the third inning, the Owls came out firing in the bottom half, scratching across four runs on JU starter Chris Anderson after a three-run homer over the right field wall for catcher
Max Pentecost (Winder, Ga./Winder-Barrow HS), his first of the season.
KSU added on three more in the fifth thanks to a lead-off single from
Bo Way (Brunswick, Ga./Glynn Academy) followed by a walk from senior
Peyton Hart (Sandy Cross, Ga./Franklin County HS) and a RBI single from Bruce (Woodstock, Ga./Woodstock HS). A double from
Chris McGowan (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill HS) scored one more as the Owls took the 7-3 edge.
The Dolphins made it a three-run game in the seventh but fell victim to a costly error in the home half of the inning, giving up one run on an errant pick-off attempt followed by a
Kody Belcher (Augusta, Ga./Lakeside HS) RBI single to set the score at 10-4 KSU.
Kennesaw State then piled on four more runs on five hits in the eight for good measure, two alone on a McGowan single along with RBI base knocks from Bruce and Pentecost. Lefty
Travis Bergen (McDonough, Ga./Woodland HS) came in and fanned a pair of Dolphin batters in the ninth to clinch the 14-4 win.
Bruce had the perfect night at the plate for the Owls with his 5-for-5 performance, collecting three singles and a pair of doubles while scoring three runs and driving in two. McGowan enjoyed a 4-for-5 night with four RBI of his own while Pentecost and Way each went 3-for-4, both scoring three times, with Pentecost bringing home four.
Stephen Janas (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter HS) kept his record unblemished on the hill, moving to 5-0 after going seven innings giving up just two earned runs and striking out five.
Justin McCalvin (Leesburg, Ga./Lee County HS) along with Bergen got the last six outs allowing just one hit and sitting down four batters. All three pitchers combined for nine k’s and did not allow a walk in the ballgame.
The two teams will be back on the diamond tomorrow, April 13, with a 2 p.m. ET start time at Stillwell Stadium.
Keep up with Owls baseball all season by following KSU on Twitter
@KSUOwlNation and
@KSUOwlsBaseball, or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook.
Kennesaw State University is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
Around the A-Sun
Mercer 7, Florida Gulf Coast 6
USC Upstate 8, Stetson 6
ETSU 8, Lipscomb 0
