Huntsville, Texas – Brilliant starting pitching from
Harry Cain handcuffed Sam Houston (8-27, 2-9 CUSA) as Kennesaw State (15-19, 6-5 CUSA) displayed its first shutout of the season in the 10-0 triumph Saturday afternoon.
Cain was on a mission on the hill as he shoved seven scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and tying a team-best nine strikeouts. The righty fanned five of the first six hitters of the game and six of the first eight including striking out the side in the second inning.
How It Happened
Lead-off hitter
Nate Anderson started the game with an unorthodox double to shortstop. Anderson popped up a pitch in the infield, but the sun prevented a Bearkat defender from making a play, leaving Anderson on second base.
After
Chris Cole laid down a sacrifice bunt moving him to third,
Donovan Cash sent a sacrifice fly to right field, plating the first run of the game in the first.
Cam Suto reached base via the walk to begin the top of the second inning. Suto then stole second base just one pitch into
Jackson Chirello's plate appearance. Chirello reached down to slap a breaking ball into shallow right field for a hit, scoring Suto for the two-run advantage.
Anderson was hit by a pitch leading off the third inning, allowing him to reach base and steal second base. He then advanced to third base after Cole's strikeout as the Bearkat catcher threw the ball to first base to complete the out. Cash secured another RBI as he shot a dagger straight into the ground in front of the pitcher, forcing him to attempt the tag at home plate as Anderson safely slid into home plate, making it a 3-0 Owls lead.
The momentum continued for KSU in the fourth inning as the first two hitters went down via strikeout, but
Aaron Posey jump-started the offense once again. The catcher lined a double into the right-center gap with two outs. A Shammar McDuffie walk allowed Anderson to loop in his second double of the day, scoring Posey and the third run for the Owls. Two more walks from the Bearkat pitcher scored the second run of the inning and the fifth for KSU.
The top of the sixth inning also spelled success for the Black and Gold as they posted two runs. The stanza began with a walk to McDuffie and an Anderson single, his third knock of the day. A Cole walk allowed Cash to post his fourth RBI of the day with a bases-loaded fielder choice, scoring McDuffie to gain a 7-0 lead.
Wesley Alig deflected a high chopper into the middle infield, recording a single and scoring a Kennesaw State runner from third, creating an eight-run advantage.
Cash cranked a home run for the history books in the top of the ninth inning. A two-run shot from Cash was sent out to left-center field, signifying his 29
th career homer. He is now tied with Andy Chriscaden (2011-12) for first place in Kennesaw State's Division-I career record.
Kennesaw State dominated all nine innings on its way to a 10-0 win, securing the series advantage.
Spotlight Performances
- Anderson retained the team lead in runs scored with two more today, totaling 29 in the season. He notched his first four-hit game in his Owl career and tied the team lead in multi-hit games with 11.
- Cain was on a mission on the hill as he shoved seven scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and tying a team-best nine strikeouts. The righty fanned five of the first six hitters of the game and six of the first eight including striking out the side in the second inning. The redshirt junior recorded the longest start of any Owl this season with seven. The previous high was Ryan Gold's six innings versus Rutgers in the second game of the season (Feb. 14). Cain has thrown at least five frames in each of his last four starts. He set single-game career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts.
- Prior to his double and home run, Cash notched four RBI without a hit in the game (Sacrifice fly, walk and two fielder's choice). The first baseman completed a stellar outing posting six RBI with two hits and a walk.
- It was just the third time coach Ryan Coe implemented an identical lineup in back-to-back games this year.
- The Owls allowed just four base hits, the lowest allowance of the '25 campaign for the Black and Gold.
- Reliever Halton Hardy was solid in his two innings, shutting the door with no earned runs and two strikeouts.
Next Up
Kennesaw State seeks its first series sweep of the year tomorrow versus Sam Houston with the first pitch at 1 p.m. ET.
