KENNESAW, Ga. - Late heroics from freshman
Shamaar McDuffie helped Kennesaw State (13-10, 4-2 Atlantic Sun Conference) outlast FGCU (11-12, 4-2 ASUN) in a 14-13 slugfest to take the series win Sunday afternoon inside Stillwell Stadium.
With the game even at 12 in the bottom of the eighth, McDuffie singled to score two, proving to be the difference in a three-hour, 18-minute contest.
Catcher
Nick Hassan once again shined at the plate with four hits, three runs and two RBI.
Isaac Bouton followed with three hits of his own in addition to two RBI and three runs scored.
Brayden Eidson batted leadoff and had his 10th multi-hit game of the season with a pair of runs scored and one strikeout on the mound in relief work.
Hassan, Eidson and Bouton all hit homers including
Nate Anderson, who posted a first-inning grand slam. Anderson had two hits Sunday for his third multi-hit game of the season. Hassan and Eidson's reached-base streaks improved to 12 and 11 games, respectively.
Eidson has hit safely in each of KSU's last 11 contests.
Kennesaw State has now won back-to-back ASUN series to open the 2024 conference slate. This is the Owls' final season in the Atlantic Sun before moving to Conference USA on July 1.
After ending an FGCU scoring threat in the opening frame, the Owls led off the first with a first-inning jack from
Brayden Eidson.
Following drawn walks from Bouton and
Spencer Hanson, including a single from
Nick Hassan,
Nate Anderson crushed a no-doubter grand slam to right to give KSU a 5-0 lead. The Eagles added four in the top of the second to cut their deficit to 5-4. FGCU added three in the top of the third to take a 7-5 lead.
Hassan led off the third with a homer on a 1-0 pitch to get within one, 7-6.
An infield error evened up the score during Hassan's fourth-inning AB to score McDuffie and even the game at seven. The Eagles added one in the fifth to retake the lead, 8-7. Relief pitcher
Ryan Renfroe limited the damage, getting out of a bases loaded jam by forcing a ground ball to short.
After
Hudson Mimbs extended his reached-base streak to a season-high five games on a walk,
Jackson Chirello drove in Anderson from second to even the game at eight in the fifth. Anderson reached second following a walk and his fourth stolen bag of 2024. FGCU retook the lead, 10-8, in the sixth.
Bouton launched his seventh homer of the season to lead off the sixth and make it a one-run game once again, 10-9.
Chris Cole reached on a bunt single, allowing Hassan to score on a throwing error by the FGCU pitcher to even the game at 10.
Eidson singled to right with two outs in the seventh and advanced to third on another error by the FGCU pitching staff. Bouton then doubled to left, scoring Eidson and putting the Black and Gold in front, 11-10. In the next at-bat, a Hassan single plated Bouton and extended the lead to 12-10. The Eagles added two in the eighth to tie the game at 12.
Daniel Powell entered in relief and stranded two FGCU runners to end the rally.
With Anderson and Chirello in scoring position, McDuffie sent one through the middle to score both and retake the lead for Kennesaw State in the eighth, 14-12. A solo shot for FGCU cut into that lead, 14-13, in the top of the ninth.
Reliver
Tanner Franklin pitched the final inning and secured the save. Powell (1-1) earned the victory on the bump.
UP NEXT
Kennesaw State returns to the diamond Tuesday, March 26 for a 6:00 p.m. contest against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Fans can catch the game on ESPN+ or purchase tickets
here.
