DECATUR, Ga. - Kennesaw State (20-15, 10-5 Atlantic Sun Conference) rallied in the top of the ninth but came up just short against Georgia State (19-17, 9-6 Sun Belt), 5-4, Tuesday at the GSU Baseball Complex.
Leadoff hitter
Brayden Eidson added three hits to his 2024 campaign with one run scored and one RBI.
Starter
Halton Hardy pitched five innings allowing just three hits and zero earned runs. He threw less than 10 pitches in all but one of his five frames.
Freshman
Cooper Williams made his second career start Tuesday and collected the first two hits of his KSU career, scoring two of the Owls' four runs.
Spencer Hanson has now reached base in each of the last 15 games and has posted a hit in the last 12.
Chris Cole has now reached safely in his last 14 games after drawing a walk from a 1-2 count in the second inning.
Donovan Cash blasted a two-run, pinch-hit single to right field in the top of the ninth to put the Owls back in front, 4-3, but the Panthers managed two runs in the bottom of the frame to take the victory.
Eidson led off the game with his 50th hit of the 2024 campaign and advanced to second on a sac bunt from Cole. Hanson stepped up to the dish and sent a single into center to score Eidson and give KSU an early 1-0 lead. Hardy only needed eight pitches to retire GSU in the bottom of the inning.
Hardy only threw seven pitches in the second inning with the Owls still leading 1-0.
With two Panthers on in the third, Hardy picked off the runner on second with help from
Zac Corbin and forced a grounder to end the scoring threat.
Catcher
Aaron Posey drew a walk in the fourth, he has now reached base in each of his last four outings. Hardy sat down the Panthers 1-2-3 in the fourth, capped off with a three-pitch strikeout.
In the top of the fifth, Williams drew his second walk of 2024 and collected his first stolen base. A single from Eidson scored Williams and extended the Owl advantage to 2-0.
Hardy also ended the fifth with a punchout, concluding a nine-pitch flawless inning. Corbin tied his season-high four-game hitting streak with a two-out single in the sixth.
Williams recorded his first collegiate hit to lead off the seventh, followed by Eidson's third hit of the afternoon. GSU evened the game at two in the seventh and took a 3-2 lead in the eighth.
The freshman notched his second hit to lead off the ninth followed by a bunt single from
Shamaar McDuffie. After
Isaac Bouton was intentionally walked, Cash stepped up to pinch hit and took the first pitch he saw into right field, scoring Williams and McDuffie to put the Owls back in front, 4-3. The Panthers add two in the ninth to win, 5-4.
UP NEXT
Owl baseball returns to the diamond Wednesday, April 17 for a 6:00 p.m. first pitch inside Stillwell Stadium against in-state rival Georgia Southern. Fans can purchase tickets
here or catch the action on ESPN+.
