THE BASICS
Records: Kennesaw State (25-32), FGCU (40-18)
Score: Kennesaw State 5, FGCU 6
Starting Pitching Matchup: RHP Mario Leon vs. LHP Nathan Dupree   
Key Players: Austin Upshaw (3-for-5, two RBI), Brock Turner (3.2 IP), Erich Stahl (1.2 IP), Forrest Bramlett (1-for-5, RBI), Taylor Allum (1-for-4, RBI)
 
Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (XML)  
 
THE STORYLINE: 
· A classic grind-it-out showdown between No. 5 Kennesaw State and No. 3 FGCU in an elimination game ended on a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth, lifting the Eagles past the Owls, 6-5, at Melching Field.
· A combined 25 runners were left on base as the team's bullpens countered each other in an all-out-or-nothing battle, making an instant classic between the two clubs. The Owls and Eagles combined for 23 hits and 11 runs on the evening.
· With the loss, Kennesaw State concluded its season 25-32 overall.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
· The Black and Gold struck first in the ballgame when Taylor Allum's two-out RBI single gave the Owls a 1-0 edge in the top of the first frame. 
· The Eagles answered with four straight, plating one in the first, two in the third and another in the fourth inning to take a 4-1 advantage into the middle frames.
· Kennesaw State entered the night scoring 16 of its 20 runs over the first three games in the sixth inning or later, and the Owls once again struck in the sixth inning with an RBI double off Forrest Bramlett's bat to cut the deficit with 4-2.
· After FGCU extended its lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth, KSU clawed back with three grind-it-out runs to deadlock things at 5-5.
· In the frame, David Chabut jumpstarted things with an RBI single that snuck past the third baseman's glove, before ASUN first team all-conference selection Austin Upshaw came up clutch with a two-out single up the middle to score the game tying runs.
· Senior RHP Brock Turner bridged the gap for the Owls on the mound, working 3.2 hard-fought frames allowing just three hits and two hard-earned runs to keep the Eagles' lineup intact.
· The game froze at 5-5 as both teams fought for the go-ahead run, exchanging tough outs and leaving runners on the bases with pitchers countering every inch of adversity thrown at them.
· Combined, the two teams left 25 runners on base in an all-or-nothing effort from the bullpens, but FGCU's walk-off hit in the ninth inning ended two scoreless frames.
· Senior RHP Erich Stahl was incredible on the night, tossing 1.2 gutsy frames allowing just four hits and one run. The righty left the Eagles stranded in several situations to hold off the Eagles as long as possible.
· Offensively, Upshaw (3-for-5, two RBI), Bramlett (1-for-5, RBI) and Allum (1-for-4, RBI) paced an offense that totaled 11 hits and five runs.
 
#NESTNOTES
· Grant Williams, an Atlanta native, finished the season with three errors in 53 starts in the middle infield. The junior was tabbed ASUN Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
· Taylor Allum and Austin Upshaw joined Williams on the ASUN first team all-conference ballot, while Tony Dibrell and Garrett Hodges were named to the ASUN second and all-freshman teams, respectively.
· Tony Dibrell finished the year with a 2.45 ERA in 95.2 innings, marking the third-lowest ERA for a single season in KSU D-I program history.
· The Owls' nine triples ranked the third highest in program history, and their 101 doubles ranked fifth in KSU D-I history for a single season.
· Junior Taylor Allum tallied a career-high 15 home runs and 45 RBI in 56 games. His 15 homers tied Any Chriscaden's single-season record dating back to 2011. 
· In fact, Allum's 19 career home runs ranks tied for fourth in KSU D-I history.
· Head coach Mike Sansing finished the season with 25 victories, and now sits 33 wins away from reaching 1,000 victories as the skipper at Kennesaw State. He is one of 13 active coaches with 1,000 career wins who has coaches at least 10 season of D-I baseball.
· Jeremy Howell finished his career with 208 games played wearing the Black and Gold, ranking fifth all-time in KSU D-I program history.
· Chris Erwin totaled a .332 career batting average, ranking sixth all time in program history. His
· A true two-way player, Erwin's 37 career starts on the mound also tied Jordan Hillyer (2013-15) for the second-most career start in KSU program history.