Photo courtesy of KSU Athletics
Baseball was dominant over Florida International en route to a series sweep over Easter weekend at S. Walter Kelly Sr. Memorial Field.
Before blowing out FIU in on Friday and Saturday, the Owls won a slow-burn pitchers duel on Thursday 3-1.
Ty Bayer earned his second win on the season, tossing 5 1/3 innings while only giving up one run on one hit, and striking out five batters.
A Chris Cole RBI bunted single scoring Wesley Alig put the Owls on the board first in the third inning of game one.
Shortly after, Donovan Cash reached on an error scoring Aaron Posey to extend the KSU lead to 2-0 in the frame.
Another RBI bunt single, this time from the bat of Nate Anderson plated Posey in the fifth inning to give the Owls a 3-0 advantage.
Javier Crespo scored the Panthers’ lone run of the game in the top of the sixth, thanks to a sac fly from Brenden Roney.
Ryan Gold and Daniel Powell pitched the final 3 2/3 innings, allowing no runs, three hits and striking out five batters. Powell earned credit for his first save of the season.
Friday’s game saw FIU take the first lead of the ballgame on a RBI sacrifice fly from Brylan West, plating Alex Ulloa in the top of the first.
The Owls tied the game in the bottom frame when Cooper Williams struck out, but a wild pitch allowed him to advanced to first and scored Chris Cole.
Another fielding mishap in the bottom of the third allowed Anderson to score, before the Panthers tied the game back at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning.
KSU broke the game open in the fifth thanks to an eight-run explosion, starting with a three-RBI double from Cash.
Williams singled in Cash, Jackson Chirello scored Williams on a fielder’s choice, Alig singled in Cam Suto, Anderson singled in Alig and finally Cole drew a bases loaded walk to score Posey and give the Owls a 10-2 lead.
The Panthers earned a run back on a Kishon Frett homerun, but Chirello homeruns in the sixth and eighth and a Williams RBI single in the seventh gave the Owls a 13-3 run-rule win.
Pitcher Harry Cain improved to 3-2 on the season with a seven inning outing, allowing three runs on five hits. Bo Rhudy pitched the final frame, striking out each batter he faced.
The Owls bats stayed alive during Saturday’s series finale.
A two-RBI Chirello triple and Suto RBI groundout put KSU up 3-0 in the opening inning.
In the second, Chirello reached on a fielders choice and a throwing error allowed Anderson to score, putting the Owls up 4-0.
FIU cut its deficit to 4-1 in the third on an Austin Dearing RBI groundout before Alig plated Posey on an RBI fielder’s choice, and Cash scored Cole on a sac fly in the bottom half of the inning.
Posey homered in the fourth, and Alig picked up an RBI fielders choice scoring Posey and Shamaar McDuffie after a throwing error.
FIU scored twice in the 8th, before a Cash homerun in the bottom of the inning capped the Owls 10-3 victory.
Smith Pinson got the start and pitched an efficient three innings, but Powell earned the win, throwing four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits.
Ryan Renfroe, Ethan Osada and Rhudy each appeared, allowing two runs.
The Owls have now won seven straight contests, and sit in fourth place in Conference USA.
