By: By Brandon Scardigli
BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF) | PHOTO GALLERYKENNESAW, Ga. – With two doubles and a homer from standout catcher
Max Pentecost, the Kennesaw State baseball team completed the Atlantic Sun Conference series sweep over Stetson with a 9-8 win on Sunday afternoon.
Pentecost put together a 3-for-4 day at the plate while belting two doubles and a homer while driving in a pair of runs and scoring four himself as the Owls now sit just one game below .500 at 19-20 with a 6-9 record in the league.
Justin McCalvin came out with one runner on in the top of the ninth and closed the door on Stetson, now 14-23 on the year and 3-9 in the A-Sun, earning his third straight save to give the righty six on the year.
The Owls again collected a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning, Pentecost sending his fifth home run of the season and second of the series over the right field wall, scoring
Kal Simmons who led things off with a single. Pentecost extended the hit streak to 20 games with the bomb while starting the Owls off with a 2-0 lead.
Stetson made it a one-run affair in the top of the third as Josh Powers drove home Tanner Blackman with a single to center field, keeping things close at 2-1 Owls.
But the Owls got the run back and then some in the bottom half of the frame, Pentecost starting things off with a double to left before being sent home by a single from
Colin Bennett.
Bo Way then scampered home on the wild pitch from Taylor Cockrell to put the Owls up 4-1.
The Hatters dwindled the KSU lead back down to one run in the fifth, scoring a pair off of three hits and a hit batter.
Gabe Friese then picked up a big strikeout with two on in scoring position to preserve the 4-3 lead for the Owls.
KSU again had the answer, putting across two runs in the home portion of the fifth with a bases clearing RBI double from
Alex Liquori, scoring Way and Bennett for a 6-3 Owls advantage.
Pentecost knocked his second double of the ballgame down the left field line in the sixth as the Owls added one more to their lead. The Winder, Ga. native stole his 11
th base of the season before being driven in by Bennett to set the Owls up 7-3.
Garrett Russini kept things interesting with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh, putting Stetson back within two at 7-5. The Owls hung on another on the board after the stretch with
Dylan Ivey earning the RBI with a sacrifice fly to score Liquori who started off the inning with a triple.
But Stetson again wouldn't stay quiet, tying up the contest with three runs in the top of the eight off of a costly error along with three singles on the offensive end, knotting it up at eight.
Pentecost then came through in the clutch once more, coming home in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch after drawing a walk and making it to third on a Way double before McCalvin sealed the deal in the top of the last.
The Owls again put up double-digit hits as a team, belting 13 with Pentecost and Liquori each earning three, Liquori driving in a pair. Way and Bennett were good for two hits each, Way scoring two and Bennett driving in as many.
Chris Erwin got the no-decision on the hill, going 4.2 innings giving up just six hits and three earned.
The Owls will be back on the road for four five straight starting this Tuesday, April 15, with at 6 p.m. ET game at cross-town rival Georgia State before a weekend series at USC Upstate.
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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