By Mason Wittner, Staff Writer
Kal Simmons and Cornell Nixon recorded two RBIs each during Kennesaw State’s 9-2 victory over Western Carolina Tuesday.
Chris Erwin (2-2) started on the mound and picked up the win for the Owls (15-13). Erwin pitched five innings, surrendering seven hits and two earned runs.
“He was throwing extremely well,” KSU head coach Mike Sansing said. “He was just on a pitch count tonight. Going into the weekend we didn’t want to get him too far along, but I thought he threw well and controlled both sides of the plate. He had the one pitch they hit out, but other than that he threw well.”
Despite recent struggles, KSU’s bullpen inherited a 7-2 lead and gave up two hits through four scoreless innings. They racked up a combined eight strikeouts in the final four innings to preserve the win.
“I thought offensively we had some good at bats but I really though the key was our bullpen,” Sansing said. “That’s something we have struggled with. Everybody who came out of there had a clean inning and threw strikes. That was impressive for me, to see that improvement.”
The Owls recorded a pair of unearned runs in the first inning as Corey Greeson scored on a fielding error and Simmons advanced home on a passed ball by the catcher.
KSU doubled their lead in the fourth inning when Kal Simmons hit a two-RBI double to left center to give the Owls a 4-0 advantage.
The Catamounts (12-13) cut their deficit in half in the top of the fifth behind a two-run blast off of the scoreboard in center field from Jacob Doyle to bring Western Carolina within 4-2.
The Owls then pulled away in the bottom of the fifth. Following a strikeout to open up the inning, Chris McGowan drew a walk and Griffin Helms hit a single. Nixon tripled in the next at bat to extend the Owls’ lead to 6-2. Howell doubled down the left field line to score Nixon and bring KSU’s lead to 7-2.
Right-handed relief pitcher Kendall Hawkins walked Western Carolina’s Jason Smith with one out in the top of the sixth. Smith advanced to second and third on wild pitches, but Hawkins managed to strike out the next two batters and escape the inning unscathed.
The Catamounts threatened once again in the eighth as Danny Bermudez led off the inning with a triple. Righty Tony Dibrell struck out two looking and forced a fly-out to end the inning and strand Bermudez on third.
Left-hander Will Lowman faced the minimum batsmen in the ninth inning to close out the game for the Owls.
KSU will travel to Deland, Florida Thursday for a three game series with Atlantic Sun Conference foe Stetson (15-14).
“It’s going to be a tough weekend,” Sansing said. “They have a good club and they always do. We just have to go down there and play the way that we’re capable of. I think it’s important for our bullpen to control innings like they did tonight.”
