by Julien Benjamin (Staff Writer)
In the longest baseball game in Owls history, KSU was defeated by the Jacksonville State Gamecocks 9-8 in a 17-inning affair on Sunday, during which 18 different pitchers were used. The Owls scored five runs late in the game to reach extra frames, and scored an additional two in the 12th inning, but were unable to hold the Gamecocks off the board long enough to secure a win. The team dropped the series, falling to 7-6 on the season, while Jacksonville goes to 6-4 on the season.
Jacksonville State jumped on sophomore Nathan Harsh early, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first. He settled down from this point, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings to end his day.
Chris McGowan helped the Owls start claw their way back into the game by driving in a run on a sac fly in the second, and an additional run in the sixth when he singled home Max Pentecost. He ended the day going two for six with two RBIs. In the bottom of the sixth, Chris Erwin allowed an RBI single which stretched JSU’s lead to 6-2.
Max Pentecost went 0-4 on the day, but did provide an RBI on a sac fly in the seventh. Later, Justin Motley’s single scored Jacob Bruce, cutting the Gamecocks lead to 6-4.
In the eighth, Jacob Bruce’s two-RBI single to right-center field tied the game at 6, which was enough to send the game to extra innings. Both teams remained scoreless until the 12th, when Kal Simmons scored on a wild pitch. Justin Motley then added his third RBI of the day when he singled to left field, scoring Max Pentecost.
With an 8-6 lead in the 12th, Andrew Austin was brought in to close the game. Much like his last outing, he was unable to record a clean inning, instead allowing three runners to reach base. However, it was Mason Ward, not Austin, who allowed the inherited runners to score after a two RBI single by JSU right-fielder Griff Gordon.
The teams would remain tied and scoreless for another four innings, with Gabe Friese and JSU pitcher Mi McCreless combing for 9.1 innings of solid work in relief.
Cole McArthur entered the game in the 17th hoping to continue the “zeros”, but proceeded to walk his first batter faced, which came back to haunt him. Four batters later, Micha Bishop’s walkoff single scored Andre Bishop, giving the Gamecocks the one-run win. McArthur picked up his first loss of the season, falling to 0-1, while McCreless improved to 1-0.
KSU returns to Stillwell Field this Tuesday, as they play Georgia State at 6 p.m.
