After surrendering three solo home runs on Georgia’s first three hits of the game, Kennesaw State was unable to recover and fell to the Bulldogs on Tuesday, 4-2.
The loss marks KSU’s sixth in the last seven games and ninth through the first 16 games of this season.
Tony Dibrell (0-1) got the start on the mound for the Owls (7-9) and pitched 6.0 innings, allowing six hits and walking two while striking out seven. Kevin Smith (3-0) pitched 6.0 innings in a winning effort for the Bulldogs (13-5). Smith gave up four hits and an unearned run while recording five strikeouts.
“Pitching wise, I thought Tony threw the ball well,” KSU head coach Mike Sansing said. “Even though they had a couple home runs, they were just solo shots. We talk all the time about controlling the innings, and how one run shouldn’t affect us. He was able to battle back through that and have seven strikeouts. Offensively, we just didn’t do much the first half. We didn’t really do much the whole game, but at least we felt we had some better at bats as the game went on.”
Grant Williams and Justin Motley both had multi-hit days for the Owls, each going 2-4 at the plate.
UGA’s Keegan McGovern connected on a two-out, 1-0 pitch and homered to right centerfield to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Daniel Nichols led off the top of the second with a solo home run, this time to left centerfield. The Bulldogs’ third hit of the game came on a Mitchell Webb homerun to right field, giving UGA a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
In the bottom of the second inning, KSU’s LaDonis Bryant laid down a bunt single and later advanced to third with two outs on a failed pickoff attempt by Nichols at second base. Bryant failed to score, however, as Smith got Motley to fly out to center and end the inning.
The Bulldogs threatened with runners on the corners with two outs in the top of the fifth inning, but Dibrell forced a groundout to escape with no damage done. In the bottom of the frame, Motley singled and later scored on an error to cut the Owls’ deficit to 3-1.
KSU had runners on first and third with two outs in bottom of the sixth inning, but Alex Liquori’s fly out to centerfield prevented any runs from scoring.
UGA extended its lead in the top of the seventh inning when Nick King legged out an infield single, stole second and later scored on a throwing error to put the Bulldogs up 4-1. KSU’s Brennan Morgan blasted a two-out, solo home run just inside the left foul pole in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Owls will be back in action on Wednesday, March 15, as they host Tennessee Tech (6-8) at 5 p.m.
