By Julien Benjamin, Staff Writer
Behind strong starting pitching over the three-game weekend, Kennesaw State took two out of three games to win a road series against Lipscomb University.
KSU (24-20, 8-6) dropped Friday’s opening matchup to the Bisons (26-15, 6-6), but rebounded to win the final two games.
“I feel like anytime you can win two games in a road series is huge,” head coach Mike Sansing said. “We battled all weekend, it was a great weekend for us.”
Junior Jordan Hillyer started for KSU on Friday, pitching a total seven innings and allowing three earned runs. Hillyer amassed 10 strikeouts, bringing his season total to an Atlantic Sun Conference leading 79. The right-hander matched Lipscomb starter Ian Martinez-McGraw, but the bullpen failed to preserve the tie in extra innings.
The Owls trailed 3-2 going into the seventh inning, when a Jeremy Howell fielder’s choice allowed Chris McGowan to score from third. The 3-3 tie was held by Hillyer, Jordan Dibrell and Will Lowman through the ninth inning, but KSU was unable to record a hit offensively. Will Lowman allowed a leadoff walk in the 10th, and pinch-hitter Josh Lee doubled into the right center field gap to give the Bisons a walk off victory.
The final two matchups were much more satisfactory for KSU, beginning with an eight inning outing by Travis Bergen on Saturday afternoon. Bergen allowed five hits and two runs, bringing his season ERA to 2.52, good for third best in the A-Sun. “Travis Bergen controlled the game for us and kept us right there to allow us some opportunities,” Sansing said. “We took advantage of that and came out with a big win.”
The Owls were fueled by a three-run fifth inning, which saw Alex Liquori and Grant Williams each contribute a single RBI, before a McGowan grounder to second base was mishandled and led to a third unearned run. KSU held a 3-1 lead into the seventh when Lipscomb scored an RBI groundout, cutting the lead to 3-2. Liquori collected his second RBI single of the day in the eighth inning and scored Chris Erwin, a run that later proved to be crucial.
Lowman was called upon as the closer as he has been in recent weeks, and while he did collect the save, it wasn’t without drama. He allowed a leadoff homerun to Chucky Vasquez which cut the Owls’ lead to 4-3. Lowman retired the next three in order, however, and the series was tied at one.
In the series finale, KSU took an early lead and never looked back. Kal Simmons’ first inning homerun, his 10th of the year, gave starter Gabe Friese a 1-0 lead. Liquori’s two-RBI single in the second inning grew the lead to 3-0, and he later drove in an additional two runs to complete a 4-for-5, four-RBI day. “Alex Liquori was big for us,” Sansing said. “He had a great approach and was strong throughout the weekend.”
Friese gave up two runs over his seven-inning outing, but neither run was earned. Friese gave up six hits en route to his fourth win this season.
“Friese threw strikes today,” Sansing said. “He gave us a chance to win and our guys gave him a lead to work with.
KSU scored nine unanswered runs between the fourth and eighth innings to grow their lead to 12-2 behind three RBIs from McGowan, who also homered for the fourth time this season.
Logan Hutchinson and Cole McArthur struggled out of the bullpen, allowing three runs in a combined 1 1/3 innings before Chris Erwin closed the game in the ninth to preserve the 12-5 victory for the Owls.
