Kennesaw State and the University of South Carolina Upstate were in an intense back and forth battle during the entire baseball game on March 29, with the Owls ultimately taking the win home.
KSU was able to rack up another win after a hit from the senior shortstop Tyler Simon. The Owls started off the 11th inning with a leadoff single by Spencer Hanson. A sacrifice bunt by Nick Hassan advanced Hanson to second. A hit by a pitch and a walk then left the bases loaded for Simon. Simon then went on to hit a single into the right field. The runner was able to successfully score from the third base to walk off the game.
USC Upstate was able to obtain an early lead of 1-0 and was able to maintain this lead all the way through the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Brayden Eidson led off with a double, which was followed by a bomb from second baseman Hudson Mimbs, giving the Owls a 2-1 lead. The lead did not last long however, USC Upstate scored one run in the top of the sixth to tie the game 2-2.
The tie remained until the bottom of the eighth inning when Zac Corbin hit a solo home run for the Owls. USC Upstate was not going to go down without a fight, though. They came back and scored two runs of their own in the top of the ninth to take the lead over the Owls being 4-3.
The Owls had a response of their own as Mimbs led off by getting hit with a pitch. Then Hassan laid down a sacrifice bunt. Next up was the numerous National Player of the Week Josh Hatcher.
With a 17 game hit streak on the line, Hatcher battled back and forth with the pitcher, finally knocking a single up the middle. This scored the runner from second base, tying the game at 4-4 and sending the game into extra innings.
The game remained 4-4 up until the bottom of the 11th inning when Simon decided to end the game for the Owls and let them go home with a win.
The Owls look to continue their winning record as they travel down the road to Statesboro to face Georgia Southern. KSU will play the Eagles on April 6 at 6 p.m.