KSU pitcher Kevin Kyle allowed only four hits in the Owls 4-0 shutout against the Stetson Hatters on Saturday to win the series against their Atlantic Sun Conference rivals.
Kyle was resilient on the mound, pitching all nine innings. After a first inning that saw action at the plate, Kyle faced the minimum number of batters in the remaining eight innings and struck out three straight batters to grab his fourth straight victory from the mound.
The Owls improved their overall record to 17-11 and are now 6-3 in the A-Sun conference. KSU has now won back-to-back conference series matchups and are 5-1 in their last six conference games. Stetson head coach Pete Dunn commented on the Owls defensive play in a Daytona Beach News-Journal article.
“That is the best defensive infield that I can remember seeing in a long time. I am not just talking about the A-Sun.
I mean anywhere. Those guys really make a lot of plays,” Dunn said.
The second inning saw a lot of action at the plate for the Owls. KSU scored three runs in the top of the second. Catcher Max Pentecost was able to get on base after a Stetson error. Ryan Raper drove him in for the Owl’s first run of the game. Raper would score himself after Kal Simmons drove him in. The RBI was Simmon’s 23rd of the season, which leads the team. Andy Almonte was driven in by Bo Way to cap the inning and put Stetson in a three run hole.
For the next six innings, Kyle would control the game and the Owls defense would keep Stetson off the board. In the eighth inning, right fielder Alex Liquori scored on an Almonte double to make it 4-0. Liquori was walked and then stole second to put himself in scoring position for Almonte’s double.
The Owls were balanced offensively, as seven different KSU players recorded hits for a total of eight. Simmons was the lone Owl with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. Almonte’s eighth inning double was the only hit for extra bases.
The story of the game was Kyle, who threw 104 pitches in the game, suffocating Stetson’s offense. The senior forced 17 ground balls and bumped his ERA down to 2.40 and improved his season record to 5-2. The shutout was the second in three games for the Owls, as they downed Stetson by the same score in the opening game of the series on Thursday night. The Owls will hope to pick up some momentum from the series victory. KSU will face off against Georgia at home on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the team will travel to Atlanta to challenge top 25 opponent Georgia Tech before taking on Florida Gulf Coast at home in a three-game series.
