CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kennesaw State's ninth-inning comeback fell just short as the Owls dropped a 7-6 contest to Queens Saturday night at The Stick Williams Dream Fields.
Nick Zegna earned the start on the mound for the Owls. Zegna pitched a season-best 7.1 innings and allowed four runs and added five punchouts.
Brayden Eidson,
Spencer Hanson and
Nick Hassan led the way offensively for KSU with two hits apiece. Eidson went 2-for-5 and scored a run. Hanson finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two doubles.
Hassan ended the night 2-for-3 at the dish. The Fayetteville, Ga. native has four multi-hit performances in his last six games.
Nick Colina connected on his fourth homer of the season, tying his career high.
Hudson Mimbs homered for the second straight game with a solo shot in the top of the fifth.
Jackson Chirello finished with a double and an RBI.
Wade Richardson and
Donovan Cash each added a hit.
Queens grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
Zegna bounced back and kept the Royals off the board into the top of the fifth.
Trailing 2-0, Mimbs led off the top of the inning with a solo home run. Richardson reached on a single, and Colina stepped up to the plate and launched a two-run blast to give the Owls a 3-2 lead.
Zegna continued his strong start through seven innings to keep KSU in front, 3-2.
Zac Corbin drew a walk and stole second in the top of the eighth inning. Chirello extended the lead with a two-out RBI double to make it 4-2 in the top of the eighth.
The Royals answered with five runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 7-4 lead into the ninth.
Richardson led off the top of the ninth with a walk. Eidson continued the rally with a two-out single to left. Hanson followed with a two-RBI double to cut the deficit to 7-6 which held as the final score.
The Owls wrap up the series at Queens Sunday at 1 p.m. (ET).
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.
