KENNESAW, Ga. – The Owls split a pair of 5-2 decisions on Saturday in a double-header versus Towson. Tyler Simon turned in an impressive all-around effort as he finished the day 4-for-5 with a pair of stolen bases and two RBIs.
 
Game One
Brooks Buckler put together another solid outing in the first game of the double-header, but it was not enough, as the Owls fell 5-2.

Towson struck in the first inning and took a 1-0 lead after the opening frame. The Tigers extended their lead to 2-0 after a solo home run in the third inning. Kennesaw State tied the game in the third inning after Simon brought home David Chabut with a single through the left side and Jake Franklin plated the tying run with a ground ball to the first baseman.

The scoring halted for both team as neither team scored in until the 10^th inning when Towson plated a trio of runs that the Owls could not answer. Buckler turned in his second-straight impressive performance as the senior threw 7.0 innings and struck out four.

Simon shined for the Owls' offense as he went 3-for-3 with a pair of stolen bases. Jaylen Smith produced his third multi-hit game this season and extended his hitting streak to four games. Jake Franklin paced Kennesaw State with 15 putouts while Simon led the way with 6 assists.

The Owls recorded seven hits, but zero extra-base-hits.

Game Two
Alex Carballo began the second game in familiar fashion, with a lead-off home run to right field. The rocket over the right field wall was his second lead-off home run in the past five contests. The Owls scored in the second frame as well, when A.J. Willoughby scored on a throwing error committed by Towson.

With both teams scoreless in the third inning, the Owls took advantage of two more Tiger errors and pushed their lead to 4-0 in the fourth frame.

Towson answered in the fifth inning with a pair a runs after two RBI singles, but could not do anything else offensively.

The Owls successfully converted a double steal in the sixth inning to earn the final run of the game. With Jake Franklin on first and Garrett Hodges on third, both runners went, and both were safe giving the Owls a 5-3 lead.

Chabut went 2-for-3 to record his first multi-hit game of the season and 33^rd of his career. Kennesaw State used just two pitchers in the second contest, as starter Ryan Kennedy pitched 5.0 innings yielding two runs and six strikeouts and Jared Rine pitched 4.0 frames including five strikeouts.

The series will be decided tomorrow (Feb. 23) at noon inside Stillwell Stadium.