BOX SCORE (XML) |
BOX SCORE (PDF) |
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
DELAND, Fla. – The Kennesaw State baseball team picked up on a pair of stellar pitching performances from
Kevin Kyle and
Kevin McCoy to advance to the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships semifinal game against North Florida, taking down Lipscomb 4-2 in an elimination game on Saturday morning.
The Owls, who fell to UNF Friday night, May 24, in 12 innings, will face off against the Ospreys again at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday. KSU (28-29) will have to defeat UNF twice now to advance to the Championship game on Sunday.
In the win over Lipscomb (25-34), starter Kyle (Atlanta, Ga./Georgia Perimeter College) went the first six innings of action, allowing just two runs on six hits while striking out five before giving way to McCoy (Gainesville, Fla./Andrew College) who picked up his first save of the season, going the final three innings allowing just one hit and sitting down three LU batters.
With the victory, KSU avenges a regular season sweep at the hands of the Bison by eliminating Lipscomb from the postseason tournament with the two-run win.
All the scoring took place in just two innings during the contest, Lipscomb picking up two runs in the top of the first on a two-out, two-RBI single from first baseman Tyson Ashcraft for the 2-0 lead.
Then, down to their final nine outs, the KSU batters came alive in the top of the seventh inning, scoring four runs on four hits to clinch the win. Senior
Peyton Hart (Sandy Cross, Ga./Franklin County HS) drove in the first run with a single followed by the tying RBI from freshman
Alex Liquori (Brooks, Ga./Whitewater HS).
With the bases loaded and just one out, senior
Andy Almonte (Moca, Puerto Rico/Gordon College) took a fastball in the back to bring home the go-ahead run in Hart. Liquori then scored on an error from LU starting pitcher Will Blalock for the 4-2 KSU lead.
As the Bison threatened in the seventh it was McCoy who came on in relief, holding the Lipscomb batters at bay as the Owls survived the elimination game.
All it took was five hits for the KSU batters to put the Owls on top, one each from
Chris McGowan (Lawrenceville, Ga./Collins Hill HS),
Max Pentecost (Winder, Ga./Winder-Barrow HS),
Jacob Bruce (Woodstock, Ga./Woodstock HS), Hart and Liquori. Pentecost knocked the only hit for extra bases with his double in the second with Almonte, Hart and Liquori each earning a RBI.
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.
