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ATLANTA, Ga. – Despite a hot start against one of the top hitting teams in the nation, the Kennesaw State baseball team couldn’t hold off Georgia State, taking a 12-5 loss in midweek action to the cross-town rival.
Kennesaw State, now 18-16, came out firing, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning after
Andy Almonte (Moca, Puerto Rico/Gordon College) came across on a wild pitch for the game’s first run. Payton Hart (Sandy Cross, Ga./Franklin County HS) then laid down the sacrifice bunt to drive in
Jacob Bruce (Woodstock, Ga./Woodstock HS) before
Max Pentecost (Winder, Ga./Winder-Barrow HS) came home for the 3-0 lead.
Georgia State (21-13) responded with a pair of runs off of back-to-back doubles in the bottom half of the inning to make it a one-run contest. The Panthers then added two more in the third to go up by one, 4-3.
KSU regained the lead in the fifth as four straight singles from the top of the order brought in Almonte and Bruce to make it 5-3 Owls. The lead was short lived, however, as the Panthers brought in the tying run in the fifth and the go-ahead run in the sixth, sending the game into the eight at 6-5 GSU.
Down to their last out in the bottom of the frame, Georgia State scored six runs off of KSU pitching, three alone from a homerun to left field from Nic Wilson who picked up four RBI on the afternoon.
KSU did put up 10 hits during the outing, two each from Pentecost and designated hitter
Ryan Raper (Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove HS) with Pentecost earning a double as well. The senior Hart earned a pair of RBI while Almonte and Bruce each scored two runs.
On the hill, starter
Nathan Harsh (Brunswick, Ga./Brunswick HS) lasted five innings giving up five runs on eight hits, taking the no decision.
Jordan Hillyer (Dacula, Ga./Hebron Christian HS) suffered the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season despite giving up just two hits in two innings of work and striking out four.
The Owls return to Atlantic Sun Conference action this weekend, hosting Jacksonville University for a trio of games starting Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m. ET in 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.
