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KENNESAW, Ga. - Freshman Makenzie Stills made his college debut starting for the Owls on Sunday afternoon, and his four innings of shutout, one-run pitching helped secure a close 5-4 win for KSU over SLU.
The Fayetteville, Ga. native got himself into a jam early on, loading the bases with a two-out walk in the top of the first. He was bailed out by senior center fielder Alex Carballo, who chased down a fly ball to the warning track to make an impressive catch.
With two outs in the bottom of the third, graduate student and third baseman Jake Coro came up big with a double to center field. Other Owl newbie Jesse Sherrill scored Coro off of a single to left field, putting the home team up 1-0 over the Billikens.
In the next inning, Terence Norman scored on a throwing error off of a ball hit by Skylar McPhee to the SLU shortstop.
KSU was clutch from two outs again in the bottom of the fifth, with Carballo and Norman shooting base hits to the outfield. Tyler Tolve continued his fiery start to the 2021 season, singling up the middle to score Carballo. Two more singles from McPhee and Garrett Hodges scored Tolve and Norman to cap a five-run fifth inning for the Owls.
After the Billikens scored their first run of the day off of a sixth-inning single, senior reliever Trevor Hillhouse came in with runners at the corners. The six-foot-six leftie bailed his ball club out of a bind, forcing Matt Turino to ground out into a double play.
Saint Louis University began to mount a comeback, scoring three runs in the top of the eighth. With two outs and the bases loaded, Mike Sansing put the ball in the hands of former Maryville College leftie Anthony Rodriguez. Rodriguez put the kibosh on any more SLU scoring in the eighth, with a groundout to third base.
Rodriguez continued his appearance with a strikeout and one hit allowed, securing his first save of the season when the final Billiken flied out to center field.
The 5-4 win for the Owls is their third in the row and the team will look to keep up the impressive momentum next weekend in the Coastal Carolina Tournament. The invitational kicks off on Friday, Feb. 26 at 11:30 in Conway, S.C.
