Kennesaw State baseball began their ASUN title defense campaign Friday, Feb. 17 at home against the New Orleans Privateers.
Nick Zegna took the mound to start for the Owls and was only able to complete one full inning, surrendering five runs to UNO, four of which were earned.
After a quiet offensive second inning, New Orleans pushed the lead to 7-0 behind a two-run bomb from Tyler Bischke in the third.
The bats finally awoke for the Owls in the bottom half of the third, when Redshirt Sophomore Donovan Cash launched a two-run homer of his own, cutting the lead to 7-2.
A Nick Hassan RBI single in the fifth, followed by a Hudson Mimbs solo home run in the sixth brought the Owls back to only a three-run hole at 7-4.
Brayden Eidson was able to hold down the mound for KSU, going a full five innings and only yielding two runs on three hits.
After loading the bases in the top of the seventh, a walk and HBP tacked on two insurance runs for UNO, pushing the Owls’ deficit to 9-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Hassan picked up an RBI with the bases loaded on a fielder’s choice in the eighth and Pinch hitter Wade Richardson brought in one more on a single in the ninth, but it ultimately wasn’t enough resulting in a 9-6 opening day loss for the Owls.
Saturday treated the Owls better, with Southern Miss Transfer RHP Blake Wehunt on the mound for the first time this season.
Wehunt tossed four shutout innings, picking up six strikeouts along the way and only surrendering three hits.
A productive second inning put the Owls up 3-0 behind RBIs from Jay Knowles, Zac Corbin and Nick Colina.
The bats would stay awake in the third inning, as two sacrifice flies from Spencer Hanson and Eidson pushed to lead to a commanding 5-0.
UNO would score their only run of the afternoon when Catcher Miguel Useche hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in Jeissy De La Cruz.
An RBI double from Mimbs and an error by UNO shortstop Kasten Furr grew the Owls’ lead to 7-1.
KSU added three more runs in the sixth and seventh for good measure, ultimately defeating New Orleans 10-1.
Blake Aita, who came in relief for Wehunt, was credited with his first win of the season.
Sunday afternoon served as the rubber match for the series, with freshman Braden Osbolt on the mound for KSU.
After falling into a 2-0 hole in the top half of the 3rd inning, a Colina homer brought the game to a 2-2 tie.
Two solo shots from Hanson and Mason Jones gave the Owls a 4-2 lead and they wouldn’t trail again. After UNO cut the lead to 4-3 in the fifth, the Owls responded with two more runs in the bottom half batted in by Colina and Cash.
After putting another run on the board in the seventh, Colina would pick up his third hit of the night, this one in the form of an RBI triple.
The Privateers would score a final run in the ninth, but the Owls would hold on 8-4 to take the series.
KSU returns to action Friday, Feb. 24 against Long Island University at 4 p.m. at Stillwell Stadium.
