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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State baseball split a Friday doubleheader against Austin Peay after falling in game one and winning game two. After today, the Owls hold a 14-16 record (6-6 ASUN Conference) with the Governors sitting at 15-17 (7-5 ASUN) on the season.

Game 1 Final:    Austin Peay 15  Kennesaw State 3
Kennesaw State baseball fell to Austin Peay in game one of a doubleheader by a score of 15-3 on Friday afternoon inside Stillwell Stadium. The loss drops the Owls to 13-16 (5-6 ASUN) while the Governors improve to 15-16 (7-4 ASUN).

Offensively, the Owls put together six hits and were led by Jamarie Brooks who finished 2-for-3 with a double. The freshman recorded an RBI and one run scored in his 14th start of the season. 

Donovan Cash drove in two runs at the plate and ended the afternoon 1-for-4. He has now recorded an RBI in three-straight games.

Other notables were Chris Colina (1-for-3), Hudson Mimbs (1-for-3, run scored) and Wade Richardson (1-for-3).

Austin Peay scratched four across in the second, but KSU answered with three, two-out runs that cut the deficit to one.

Jackson Chirello led off with a walk and advanced to third on a knock from Richardson who was thrown out trying to leg a double. With two strikes, Brooks laced a single up the middle that cut the Governors lead to three.

Mimbs beat out an infield single and Chris Cole walked to load the bases for Cash. On a 3-0 count, the first baseman ripped a ground ball through the left side that scored two and cut Austin Peay's advantage to 4-3.

The Governors added 10 unanswered runs to extend their lead to 14-3, which held as the final.
 
Game 2 Final:    Austin Peay 4    Kennesaw State 9
Kennesaw State baseball defeated Austin Peay in game two of the doubleheader by a score of 9-4 on Friday afternoon inside Stillwell Stadium. The win improves the Owls to 14-16 (6-6 ASUN) while the Governors fall to 15-17 (7-5 ASUN).

Down one run headed into the bottom of the sixth, KSU exploded for six runs on four hits. The offense scored five runs with two outs to take a 9-4 lead which held as the final.

Tyler Franks (2-2) entered in the sixth and tossed two innings out of the KSU bullpen. The southpaw tallied four strikeouts and earned the win.

Braden Osbolt made his eighth start and tossed five innings. The right-hander tallied four strikeouts and allowed four runs on six hits.

Smith Pinson entered in the eighth and threw the final two frames for the Kennesaw State pitching staff. Pinson allowed zero runs and had one strikeout in his 10th appearance.

The offense collected 12 hits in game two and had four Owls go for multi-hit performances. The Owls had eight-of-nine starters record a base knock and were led by Jackson Chirello who hit his fourth career home run in the contest.

Chirello finished 2-for-4 and blasted the game-tying home run in the sixth inning. The freshman ended with two RBIs and one run scored.

Makenzie Stills made his first career start at second base and tallied two hits. The infielder drove in a run and scored once in his debut.

Connor Evans added another multi-hit performance in a 2-for-4 afternoon. The outfielder also scored one run in the contest.

Donovan Cash extended his streak of consecutive games with an RBI to four after driving in two runs in game two. He ended 1-for-5 with a double at the plate.

Nick Hassan tied his career-high with four RBI in game two of the doubleheader. The Owls' catcher put together a 2-for-5 performance.

Nick Colina extended his reached-base streak to 11 after drawing three walks in the contest.  

Austin Peay scored with two outs in the first, but KSU tied the game when Hassan roped a double that brought home Colina. The double was the seventh of the year for the Owls' catcher.

Kennesaw State took the lead in the second, when Stills ripped a ground ball back up the middle that scored Evans from second. The Fayetteville, Ga. native swung at the first pitch he saw to record his first career hit in his first collegiate at-bat.

The Owls struck again with two outs in the third to extend their lead. Chirello slapped a two-out knock to right field that scored Hassan from third. This moved KSU's lead to 3-1.
The Governors plated three runs in the fourth to grab a one-run lead.

In the sixth inning, Kennesaw State took the lead with six runs on four hits. Chirello led off the frame with a 413 ft. bomb to right-center that tied the score once again. The long ball was the freshman's fourth of the year.

The Owls loaded the bases later in the inning with two outs. Cash stepped into the box and roped a two-RBI double to left that put Kennesaw State ahead 6-4.

A pair of walks loaded the bases for Hassan, who slashed a double that was just out of reach of the Governors left fielder. Three runs scored on the play to extend the Owls' lead to 9-4, which held as the final.

Next Up
Kennesaw State baseball is back in action next Wednesday for a midweek contest at Mercer. First pitch is slated for 6:00 p.m. inside OrthoGeorgia Park at Claude Smith Field. This will be the 39th meeting between the two programs and second of this season.  

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.
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