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FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Kennesaw State baseball team saw its season come to a close on early Thursday (May 21) afternoon, suffering a 6-2 defeat at the hands of Florida Golf Coast in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. With the loss, the Owls end their 2015 campaign with a 28-28 overall record.

Kennesaw State scattered seven hits on the day at Swanson Stadium, as freshman Grant Williams (2-for-4) and Alex Liquori (1-for-4, one RBI) paced the Owls' lineup. Kal Simmons (1-for-3), Chris Erwin (1-for-4), Colin Bennett (1-for-4) and Jeremy Howell (1-for-3) also contributed on the day with a hit each in the contest.

For the second straight day, KSU found itself trailing early in the ballgame and could never recover. The Eagles, who hosted the A-Sun Tournament for the second consecutive year, plated two runs in the second and third innings to pull ahead 4-0 and never looked back in the elimination game.

Travis Bergen (6-4), who made his 14th start on the mound, bounced back after allowing four runs (three earned) throughout the first three innings of play settled down with back-to-back scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth frames, not allowing a hit during the span.

With the stretch of scoreless frames from Bergen, the Owls were able to cut the lead in half by scoring their first runs of the tournament with a crooked two in the top of the sixth inning. KSU capitalized on a couple of FGCU miscues as Simmons led things off with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Simmons, a Second Team All-Conference selection, then worked around the bases and crossed home on a pass ball for the Owls' first run in two days.

The sixth inning continued when junior outfielder Liquori hit a two-out RBI double down the right field line, scoring senior Chris McGowan –who reached earlier on a walk— from second base to cut the lead to 4-2.

The two-run deficit would be the closest KSU would get, as the Eagles came back with two runs in the bottom of half of the frame to pull ahead by four.  A two-run RBI double off the bat of Nick Rivera plated FGCU's two runs in the inning to push the Eagles' lead to 6-2.

Bergen finished his day allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits over 6.0 innings of work. The junior lefthander, who was named a First Team All-Conference selection earlier in the week, struck out two and walked four in his outing and was credited with the hard-fought loss.

In all, Kennesaw State used five pitchers on the day as AJ Moore, Mason Ward, Benjamin Bancroft and Will Lowman combined to relieve Bergen of his duties. The bullpen combined to allow just one hit and no runs over two innings in the Owls' final contest of the 2015 season.
 
Notes To Remember in 2015
• Then ranked 19th, Kennesaw State hosted 25th-ranked Liberty in the season opener at Stillwell Stadium. It marked the first time in program's history the Owls hosted a matchup of two teams inside the top 25. KSU went on to win the game, 11-9, with Kendall Hawkins earning the win on the mound.
• Head coach Mike Sansing won his 1,000th career game on March 27, 2015 against USC Upstate in a 5-0 final. Sansing is now in his 27th season at the helm of the program, and his 24th as the Owls' skipper.
• KSU landed the Team of the Year award at the Atlanta Sports Awards ceremony. Max Pentecost, 2014 Johnny Bench Award winner, also took home the Collegiate Athlete of the Year award. Coach Sansing was also a Coach of the Year finalist on March 5, 2015.
• Jordan Hillyer was honored as one of seven Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week winners on March 23, 2015. Chris Erwin also tabbed Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week on May 18 after a 15-strikeout performance.
• Chris Erwin's 15 strikeout performance against Georgia Southern on May 12 tied KSU's Division I single-game record for most punch outs in a game. It was the most since Chris Sale fanned 15 in a single game back in 2010.  
• The Owls' win on the road at Georgia Tech Tuesday (April 21) night marked the first time in program's history KSU defeated the Yellow Jackets in back-to back seasons on the road. Kennesaw State defeated GT last year at Russ Chandler for the first time since 1989.
• KSU took 2-of-3 from Atlantic Sun Conference foe Lipscomb on the road on April 24-26, defeating the Bisons in a regular-season series for the first time since 2011. In fact, the Owls defeated Lipscomb in a series on the road for the first time since 2006.
• The Owls finished the 2015 home slate with a 15-13 mark, giving KSU a winning record at Stillwell Stadium for the fifth consecutive season.
• Kennesaw State's showdown with Georgia Southern on May 12 will mark the first time this season the Owls are showcased on ESPN3.
• Jordan Hillyer and Travis Bergen both made First Team All-Conference for Owls.
• Kal Simmons, Chris Erwin and Taylor Allum were named to the Second Team All-Conference.
• Taylor Allum and Grant Williams each were tabbed to the 13-man All-Freshmen Team named by the Atlantic Sun Conference.
• The Owls had five A-Sun Pitcher of the Week winners, three awarded to Jordan Hillyer and two tabbed to Travis Bergen.
• Corey Greeson was named the lone Owl to an Atlantic Sun player of the week this season.
 
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