#13 OWLS HOLD OFF BLUE HOSE FOR SWEEP
KENNESAW, GA - The No. 13-ranked Owls used an offensive explosion to sweep Presbyterian College, 20-14 and 9-8, on Saturday afternoon at Stillwell Stadium.
The Owls (31-18) and the Blue Hose (17-37) combined for 43 hits and 34 runs in the opener as Kennesaw State overcame a five-run deficit after the first half inning.
Kennesaw State scored three times in the bottom of the first inning and added six runs in the bottom of the third to lead 9-6.
Presbyterian scored twice in the top of the fourth inning to cut the Owls lead to a run, but in their half of the inning, KSU scored five times to lead 14-8.
Ben Sosebee lasted just three innings for the Owls, allowing six runs (three earned) and six hits. Blue Hose starter, Robert Cole (2-6), lasted only two innings, allowing nine runs (five earned) and seven hits.
Nathan Miller (2-0) earned the win as he relieved Travis King in the top of the fifth inning. Miller pitched two and one-third innings of relief and allowed three runs on four hits.
Five Kennesaw State players had multi-hit games with Jon love, Jeremy Brotherton and Adrian Colton each getting four hits. Ryan Apple and Scott Hendrix had three hits each to lead the Owls 22-hit attack.
Jake Lunnen, Matt Bodie and Clay Belton each had four hits for Presbyterian. The Blue Hose pounded out 21 hits in the game.
Mike Bohana and Kyle Muschera combined to pitch two and one-third innings of scoreless relief as the Owls used a five-run eighth inning to break open a one-run game and finally hold off the pesky Blue Hose.
In the nightcap, Jeremy Brotherton had three hits as Kennesaw State used a seven-run second inning to rally from a 3-0 deficit and hold off the Blue Hose.
A single and three walks to the first five batters of the second inning doomed Presbyterian starter Jim Wagers (1-4). A wild pitch made the score 3-2 before Brotherton singled to drive in a pair of runs and give KSU a 4-3 lead.
Robert Cook relieved Wagers but was tagged for a quick single by Ryan Perry and a double by Scott Hendrix to make the score 6-3. An error by second baseman Donald Sheppard made the score 7-3.
Hendrix homered in a driving rain to leadoff the fourth inning to push the lead to five runs before the Blue Hose mounted a rally.
A fielder's choice, a walk and a hit batter chased KSU starter Matt Eckhardt (4-4) in favor of Brent Jackson in the sixth inning. Jackson induced a groundball which Brotherton threw past first baseman Hendrix, making the score 8-5. Jackson got Tyson Baxter to ground out to end the rally.
In the top of the seventh inning, Presbyterian struck again as Evan Sowell doubled to right field just off the glove of Jon Love. Belton followed with another double to right field to make the score 8-6. After Russell Robinson singled to centerfield, Kennesaw State head coach Mike Sansing brought in senior John Robbins out of the bullpen for the save.
Robbins, who had not had a save since earning seven in his freshman year of 2002, got Lance Howard to pop up to second base. A sacrifice fly by Bodie followed to make the score 8-7 before Lunnen crushed a fly ball to right field which Love caught just in front of the wall for the final out of the game.