By Jack Herman, Staff Writer
The Owls split their first double-header of the season when they hosted St. Johns Saturday and dropped the first game 6-2 before rebounding in the second game for a 10-5 win.
Kennesaw State (2-1) won their home opener Friday against Liberty University in a top-25 matchup.
“Game one offensively I felt we couldn’t get anything going,” KSU head coach Mike Sansing said. “I think it was indicative of the score. I am really proud of how well the guys bounced back in game two and were able to give our starter some run support.”
Game one was all about St. Johns and the performance they got from junior right handed pitcher Cody Stashak. Backed with six runs of support Stashak would go 7 1/3 innings allowing just four hits and one run.
On the other hand, KSU starter Travis Bergen was able to complete four innings but went on to allow three earned runs, five runs total, and two home runs allowed. The lefty threw the ball well, but the Owls committed three errors.
St. Johns got on the board early in the second inning when the wind aided a home run over the right field wall for catcher Tyler Sanchez and put the Red Storm up 2-0. St. Johns extended their lead in the third to 4-0 after Anthony Brocato launched a two run homer deep over the left field wall.
The Owls were unable to get on the scoreboard until they added single runs in the eighth and ninth inning. Although St. Johns had the Owls on the ropes in game one, freshman AJ Moore made some noise on the bump in relief of Bergen as he struck out his first four batters in his collegiate debut going three innings allowing one earned run and fanning five hitters.
Game two for the Owls was a completely different story. Led by sophomore Gabe Friese, KSU won handily, 10-5. Friese went five strong innings, allowed no runs and surrendering just four hits.
“He [Friese] is a strike thrower,” Sansing said. “He got through five which was great. Gabe spotted the ball really well, got a lead early and was able to pitch aggressively within the strike zone.”
Unlike his game one teammate, Friese got early run support and the Owls put up four runs in the third inning. After Kal Simmons doubled to set up runners on second and third base, Colin Bennett singled off the glove of diving second baseman Ty Blankmeyer to bring in a run.
First baseman Chris McGowan promptly singled through the hole between first and second to bring in a run before the ball got by the right fielder which allowed one more run to score. The final run of the inning would come in on a sacrifice fly by Corey Creeson.
From there Friese threw two more shut down innings before giving the ball to Chris Erwin in relief. Erwin went three innings and allowed just one earned run on four hits. To finish the game, Jordan Versteeg came in for the ninth and allowed four unearned runs but finished the game for the Owls.
After the third inning outburst, KSU added a pair of three run innings in the sixth and seventh. Alex Liquori singled in a run to extend the lead to 5-0, but a pair of three-run shots to left field by left fielder Griffin Helms and third baseman Corey Gleeson would finalize the scoring.
KSU is off until Tuesday, Feb. 17 as they take on the University of Georgia at home before traveling down to Macon for a meeting with Mercer.
