By: By Brandon Scardigli
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KENNESAW, Ga. – It took an extra two innings of work on Friday night at Stillwell Stadium, but the Atlantic Sun Conference's offensive leader came through in the clutch as
Max Pentecost drilled the game-winning double to leftfield, bringing home the 2-1 win for the Kennesaw State baseball team over Gardner-Webb.
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With the game tied up at one with no outs in the bottom of the 11
th, Pentecost took a 2-2 pitch and sent it deep to left-centerfield, over the outstretched glove of GWU centerfielder J.J. Nazzaro, bringing home the game winning run in
Jacob Bruce following his lead-off walk.
It took just six hits during the ballgame for the Owls to move to 4-2 on the year and take a 1-0 lead in the four-game series with Gardner-Webb, who sinks to 1-4 with the loss.
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The Runnin' Bulldogs put up the first run of the contest in the top of the second on a miscue from KSU in the infield, giving the visitors a 1-0 edge, a lead they would hold until the bottom of the ninth.
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KSU then threatened in the seventh after a
Bo Way double came with just one out, but the Owls wouldn't generate the tying run until the ninth after Bruce started things off with a single. An error on the GWU first baseman then sent Bruce all the way to third before a Way sacrifice fly to center evened things up at one.
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The Owls again put a run on second with just one out in the tenth, but after holding the Bulldogs scoreless through extras it took just two batters for KSU to come up with the second run of the night in the last as Pentecost walked off the hero.
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James Connell picked up his first win of the year from the mound, tossing one inning allowing no hits.
Justin McCalvin, who was good for three innings with a pair of hits and strikeouts, came in in relief of starter
Jordan Hillyer who put in seven innings of work, allowing just six hits and one run while striking out five.
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Alex Liquori was the only KSU player with multiple hits as the rightfielder was good for two singles.
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Along with his game-winning hit, Pentecost also caught a pair of runners attempting to steal from behind the plate during the affair.
The Owls and the Runnin' Bulldogs will square off again on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. ET in doubleheader action at Stillwell Stadium.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State baseball news, follow the team on Twitter
@KSUOwlNation and
@KSUOwlsBaseball or by liking Kennesaw State University on
Facebook.
For more information on how to purchase tickets, please call the KSU ticket office at
770-423-6957, or by visiting
KSUOwls.com/tickets.
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-#GoKSUOwls-
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