MACON, Ga. - Four unanswered runs for Kennesaw State (16-11, 6-3 Atlantic Sun Conference) evened its season series with Mercer (15-12, 1-2 SoCon), 5-4, inside OrthoGeorgia Park Tuesday night.

Third baseman Isaac Bouton had two hits, one run scored and put a ball in play in the seventh that scored Shamaar McDuffie for the decisive fifth run for the Black and Gold.

KSU stranded 15 Mercer runners on base en-route to its 15th all-time win over the in-state foe. The Owls have now won four of their last five games in 2024.

Kennesaw State has now won back-to-back road games against Mercer for the first time since 2012.

Starter Bo Rhudy stranded three Bear runners in the opening frame via a bases-loaded fly ball to keep the game scoreless after one. Rhudy stranded four Mercer runners in the first two innings.

With Jackson Chirello on third in the third, Brayden Eidson launched a sacrifice fly for the first run of the game in favor of KSU, 1-0. Mercer evened the game in the bottom of the fourth. The Bears added three in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. Luke Cooper entered in relief later in the inning and ended another bases-loaded threat from the Bears without allowing a run.

With two on in the sixth, Spencer Hanson launched a single to center to score Nick Hassan, slicing the deficit to 4-2.

In the next at-bat, pinch hitter Aaron Posey sent a grounder to third that plated Bouton to make it a one-run game, 4-3. A heads-up play on the basepaths from Hanson during an infield single from Hudson Mimbs allowed the graduate to score all the way from second and even the game at four.

Bouton stepped up to the plate in the seventh and put a ball in play that scored McDuffie, retaking the lead for Kennesaw State, 5-4.

Two more Mercer runners in scoring position were stranded in the bottom of the eighth as reliever Ryan Renfroe forced a fly out to right.

Tanner Franklin notched his fifth save of the season by striking out two batters and also leaving two Bears in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth to secure the 5-4 win for Kennesaw State. Cooper (1-0) earned his first victory of the season.

GAME NOTES
- The Owls won Tuesday night's game without registering a single extra-base hit.
- KSU held Mercer 0-for-2 with runners on third and less than two out situations.
- Kennesaw State was 5-for-9 when leading off an inning at the plate and 3-for-4 with a runner on third and less than two outs.
- Bouton recorded his ninth multi-hit game of 2024.
- Cooper stranded six Bear runners Tuesday allowing zero runs.
- Rhudy allowed just three hits and one earned run during his start.
- Hanson has now reached base in seven-straight contests.

UP NEXT
The Owls road trip rolls on to DeLand, Fla. for three games against ASUN foe Stetson beginning Friday, April 5.

KSU returns to The Shake on Friday, April 12 for game one of a three-game series against Central Arkansas. Fans can purchase tickets here. Read Full Article