Saturday, March 14, 2009

KENNESAW, Ga. - Sophomore Bucky Smith drove in the winning run in game one with an RBI single in the eighth, while Andrew Martin's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth of game two brought home a sliding Tyler Stubblefield with the game-winner as the Kennesaw State baseball team swept a doubleheader from No. 21 Kent State, 3-2 and 7-6, on Friday afternoon at Stillwell Stadium.

Game one was a pitcher's duel largely contested by Owls starter Kyle Heckathorn and Kent State starter Brad Stillings. Both pitchers lived up to the hype brought upon by the over 50 representatives from Major League Baseball in attendance. While neither starter factored in the decision, it was Heckathorn who had the better outing. The Kennesaw State hurler went seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. Stillings lasted 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with six walks and six strikeouts.

Scoring was at a premium in game one, with Kent State taking a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI single by Ben Klafcynski. The Owls answered in the fourth when Jace Whitmer launched a solo homer onto the roof of the Bailey Building in left.

Kent State (8-4) scored an unearned run in the sixth. Greg Rohan reached second when Smith dropped a shallow pop fly in right field. One batter later, Jason Patton singled to right to score Rohan to put Kent State ahead 2-1.

The Owls (7-6) came back in the bottom of the inning. After a leadoff single by Curtis Van Wyck, Whitmer doubled into the gap in left-center, scoring Van Wyck to knot the score.

In the eighth, Whitmer walked with one out in the inning, then moved to second after a walk to pinch hitter Ross Tendler. That set the stage for Smith's heroics. After making the earlier error that led to a Kent State run, Smith atoned for his mistake when he hit a 1-2 offering from Jon Pokorony through the left side of the infield for a base hit.

Whitmer slid in safely just ahead of the throw to give the Owls a 3-2 edge.

After entering with one man out in the eighth, Kenny Faulk (2-2) retired the side in the ninth to earn the win for the Owls. Pokorny (0-2) took the loss for the Golden Flashes.

After the starting pitchers stole the spotlight in game one, it was the relief pitchers for Kennesaw State and Kent State that set the tone for most of game two. Kent State opened the scoring in the second off Kennesaw State starter Ryan Rodebaugh, as Jimmy Rider brought home two runs with a single. The Black and Gold would answer in the bottom of the inning, as Jon White connected for a three-run homer off Kent State starter Alan Morrison to put the Owls on top.

Kennesaw State added two more in the third, as Martin drew a bases loaded walk and White drove home a run with a single to left, one batter after Morrison was relieved by David Starn.

The Golden Flashes took the lead in the fourth with four runs off of Rodebaugh, with Rohan's two-run double tying the score and Jared Humphreys' bunt single with the bases loaded pushing Kent State into a 6-5 lead.

The Owls tied the score in the fifth as Martin doubled down the line in right to bring in Whitmer. That would be the last run of the game for a while, as Kennesaw State reliever Brad Long found a groove and was matched by Starn and Kent State's Justin Gill. Long (1-0) went 5.1 innings for the Owls, allowing only five hits while striking out two, while Starn and Gill combined to keep the Owls off the board until the ninth inning.