DELAND, Fla. - On the back of a pitching gem from sophomore
Braden Osbolt, Kennesaw State (31-23, 19-10 Atlantic Sun Conference) clinched a spot in the 2024 ASUN Semifinals with a 4-3 win against No. 4 FGCU (30-25, 20-10 ASUN) Wednesday at Melching Field.
The 2024 All-ASUN Third Team honoree (6-2) tied his career-high 119 pitches and seven innings of action allowing just one earned run and five hits to the Eagles, who run-ruled the No. 1-seeded Austin Peay Governors 13-3 Tuesday.
KSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second. FGCU did not score until the top of the fifth but that was answered with one run from the Owls in the bottom of the inning. The Eagles added two runs in the top of the eighth but could not complete the comeback.
Brayden Eidson posted two hits on the day including one RBI and a hit-saving jumping grab at first base for the first out in the top of the ninth.
Jamarie Brooks continued his hot month of May with two hits of his own and one RBI.
KSU is 2-0 in Pool A play after defeating No. 3 Stetson 6-5 Tuesday afternoon. The Black and Gold are locked in to one of Saturday's two semifinal matchups with seeding and opponent to-be-determined. The Owls have now won six-straight games, tying the longest win streak under head coach
Ryan Coe.
Corbin got the scoring going to Kennesaw State in the bottom of the second, ripping a double down the right field line to plate
Nick Hassan and
Donovan Cash. He advanced to third on the throw in from right field.
Two AB's later
Jamarie Brooks knocked an infield single to score Corbin as KSU led 3-0 after two.
FGCU posted its second hit of the day in the top of the third but was short-lived after a double play turned by
Shamaar McDuffie.
The Eagles added one in the top of the fifth but KSU equalized that run on a
Brayden Eidson single to center to plate
Chris Cole from third. KSU led 4-1 after six.
Osbolt collected a pair of strikeouts to keep the Eagles off the board in the seventh. FGCU added two in the top of the eighth to cut the lead to 4-3.
Smith Pinson entered the game with one out to get in the top of the eighth and pitched the final 1.1 frames allowing just one hit and zero earned runs to secure KSU's one-run victory. He secured his first save of the season and first overall since April 19, 2023.
UP NEXT
KSU concludes Pool A action Friday, May 24 at 10:00 a.m. against the top-seeded Austin Peay Governors. Fans can catch the action on ESPN+ or follow the KSU Owl Network radio call
here.
