Mike Foster (Sports Editor)
East Tennessee State did everything it could in the bottom of the 10th inning to extend its upset bid of KSU in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship opener. Designated hitter Brennan Morgan had other plans.
After Max Pentecost tripled when he snuck a fly ball just past the glove of ETSU right fielder Tyler Roach, the Buccaneers had to get creative to keep the contest alive. Will Chesney came to the mound with orders to walk back-to-back batters to fill the bases. ETSU also brought in a fifth infielder, hoping to throw out Pentecost in a force play at the plate.
Instead, Morgan put a full cut on the second pitch he saw, sending a shot deep over the left-center wall to give KSU (34-21) a dramatic 11-7 victory over the Buccaneers at Swanson Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla., on Wednesday. KSU will face Stetson, which upset No. 2 seed Mercer, tomorrow at 5 p.m. in the second round of double-elimination action.
“I didn’t think it was getting out,” Morgan said. “I just wanted to get the job done with a sacrifice fly and the next thing I know it ends up behind the wall.”
Heading to the bottom of the 8th, it appeared KSU, who had won 19 of its last 20 and 15-straight conference games, would run out of luck. KSU went down 1-2-3 in the previous frame. Instead, the Owls’ offense ignited thanks to the hot bats of Pentecost and Bo Way, who combined for seven hits and as many runs in the game. Pentecost started with a single past the shortstop, followed by a Way double down the right-field line. With the two runners in scoring position, Chris McGowan flew a deep shot just past the reach of the Buccaneers left-field glove, pulling KSU within one run.
Matt Bahnick tied the game with an RBI single seconds later. Morgan finished with a 4-for-4 performance at the plate, while A-Sun first team selection Justin McCalvin earned his fourth win of the year after allowing no hits and a lone walk in two innings of work.
“I thought the eighth inning was key with the three runs to be able to tie it,” KSU head coach Mike Sansing said. “Our pitching kept it right there in the tenth.”
Things weren’t looking so pretty before the Owls began the comeback. Shortstop Kal Simmons committed his 22nd error of the season to score an ETSU run, extending the lead to 7-4. That mistake came with two outs on the board, as ETSU’s Trey York reached second after a put-out attempt was bobbled at second base. York scored on the error moments later.
ETSU scored three runs in the fifth inning and another in the sixth to score its first six runs, while KSU led 2-0 in the second and 3-2 in the fourth. Starting pitcher Jordan Hillyer earned six of ETSU’s seven runs through 5.2 innings.
