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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With a 7-4 loss to Louisville on Saturday night, the Kennesaw State baseball team's historic run into the postseason came to a close as the Owls lost to the Cardinals in game two of the best-of-three Super Regional.
 
KSU ends the season at 40-24, the first 40-win season in the NCAA Division I era for the Owls, while taking the team's first ever Atlantic Sun Conference championship and the Tallahassee Regional.
 
"I'm proud of our guys and what they were able to accomplish this year," said Kennesaw State head coach Mike Sansing. "I told the guys they put Kennesaw State on the map this season and I couldn't be prouder. It was a great ride."
 
Unlike game one it was KSU who drew first blood, Kal Simmons leading off the bottom of the first with an opposite-shot double to left-center field. Jacob Bruce then laid down the sacrifice bunt on the first pitch he saw to move Simmons over. Max Pentecost then drilled a single to the left side to bring home the run for a 1-0 lead.
 
The lead was short-lived, however, as Louisville put up two runs in the top of the third with RBI hits from Jeff Gardner and Nick Solak, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 edge in the top of the third.
 
KSU then had the answer, loading up the bases with no outs in the home half as Cornell Nixon started off with the walk followed by a base hit from Simmons and a bunt-single from Bruce. Pentecost then sent a hard-hit ball to left-center field, scoring two and putting KSU back on top at 3-2.
 
Chris McGowan tapped one to short with runners on second and third, scoring Bruce before a groundout ended the inning with a 4-2 KSU advantage.
 
After both teams went quietly through the fourth, Louisville started off the top of the fifth with a double and an RBI single, cutting the Owl lead down to just 4-3. Nick Solak then sent a 2-run shot over the left field wall, swinging the lead back to the Cardinals at 5-2.
 
Louisville then hung on a pair of insurance runs in the sixth as a Cole Sturgeon 2-RBI single extended the gap in favor of the Cardinals at 7-4 heading into the late innings.
 
KSU threatened in the seventh, but couldn't muster up the offense in the final three innings, falling in the Super Regional to Louisville to end the Owls' historic season.
 
Simmons, Bruce and Pentecost each knocked three hits on the night, Pentecost recording three RBIs as well with Simmons scoring a pair of runs. Pentecost and Simmons each knocked a double along with the first baseman McGowan.
 
On the hill, Will Solomon had another outstanding outing in relief, going 3.1 innings of perfect ball, striking out two.
 
KSU will now begin prep for the 2015 campaign, looking to defend its A-Sun title back 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.
  

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