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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State baseball set a new program record with five double plays turned in an 11-4 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon at Stillwell Stadium. With the win, the Owls (10-11, 2-3 ASUN Conference) secure their first conference series of the season and aim to sweep the Colonels (8-14, 1-4 ASUN) in tomorrow's finale.
Braden Osbolt (1-0) worked a career-long 6.1 innings en route to his first-career win on the mound. The freshman allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits while making his sixth start of the year. Osbolt induced four double plays and struck out one in the outing.
Tyler Franks tossed the final 2.2 innings in relief and tied his career high with four strikeouts. The left hander allowed zero runs on zero hits in his eighth appearance of the season. He induced the record-breaking, fifth double play of the afternoon in the seventh inning.
The Kennesaw State offense exploded for 11 runs on 11 hits in the contest. The team had 8-of-9 starters record a base knock while two went for multiple hits.
Brayden Eidson extended his hitting streak to six games with a 1-for-4 afternoon. The right fielder scored two runs and drove in one in the victory. He has now registered eight hits in three games played this week.
Donovan Cash collected a 2-for-3 day at the plate with a team-high, three RBI. The first baseman blasted his fifth home run of the season on a 443 ft. shot to dead-center field.
Spencer Hanson had one at-bat in the contest and slashed an RBI double. The KSU designated hitter has recorded seven RBI in the first two games of this weekend's series.
Mason Jones posted his first multi-hit game of the season and went 2-for-4 with a double. The Owls' backstop also scored one run in the contest.
Nick Colina went 1-for-4 at the dish and ripped his fourth triple of the year. He currently leads the ASUN in this category.
Other notables for the offense included
Wade Richardson (2-for-3, RBI),
Jackson Chirello (1-for-3) and
Hudson Mimbs (1-for-3, RBI, run scored).
The Owl offense scored in the first inning for the second-straight game to take a 3-0 lead. The team recorded two hits and two walks, highlighted by an RBI double from Hanson. This was the third two-bagger of the year for the KSU designated hitter.
EKU cut into the deficit with a run in the third, but a solo home run from Cash extended the lead back to three for Kennesaw State. This was the fifth home run of the season for the Owls' first baseman and first since Feb. 26 against Long Island.
The Colonels went to the bullpen after surrendering the long ball to face Chirello. The freshman worked a four-pitch walk, then came around to score on Colina's fourth triple of the season. Two pitches later, Mimbs laced a single to move KSU ahead, 6-1.
The Owls added one run in the fourth on an EKU error to push their lead to 7-1. Chirello collected a single with two outs in the frame, then came around to score on the Colonel miscue.
KSU scored three more times in the fifth on two hits. With runners on second and third, Cash lined a single off the pitcher's glove that deflected into no man's land. Cash beat the throw to first while a speedy Eidson scored all the way from second base to give Kennesaw State a 10-1 advantage.
Richardson doubled in the sixth to give Kennesaw State a double-digit lead. The Colonels answered and scored three in the seventh to move the score to 11-4, which held as the final.
Kennesaw State baseball is back in action tomorrow for its series finale with Eastern Kentucky. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m. inside Stillwell Stadium. Tickets are available for purchase by clicking
here.
To keep up with the latest on the Kennesaw State baseball team, follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsBaseball or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook and Instagram.
