Wednesday, March 31, 2010

KENNESAW, Ga. - On the strength of a five-run seventh inning and three solid pitching performances, Kennesaw State defeated No. 2 Georgia Tech, 7-4, Wednesday evening at Stillwell Stadium.  The Owls won for the third time in program history against the Yellow Jackets, and with wins over Georgia and Georgia State this season, have now defeated all three local rivals.

"I thought that pitching-wise, we really did a good job this evening," said KSU head coach Mike Sansing, who saw his team improve to 11-16 on the season.  "We got a big double from Bucky Smith in the second inning to give us some life, and we kept battling all the way to the end."

In the seventh inning with the score tied at 3-3 and the bases loaded, the Owls were the beneficiaries of Tech's lone error.  Tyler Stubblefield chopped the ball to third, with Thomas Nichols coming home to force the runner out at the plate.  Catch Matt Skole tried to turn the double play with a throw to first, but the throw sailed high, rolling all the way to the wall in the right field corner.  Two runs came home to roost for the Owls and Stubblefield motored over to third with KSU on top, 5-3.

One batter later, Peyton Hart's suicide squeeze was laid down perfectly towards third base, stopping on the infield grass to plate Stubblefield and put Hart aboard with KSU's second infield hit of the inning.  After a pair of wild pitches moved Hart to third, Drew Fowlkes singled solidly into left off of Zach Brewster, scoring Hart to give KSU a 7-3 advantage.

The Yellow Jackets (22-3) made things interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with three walks.  With the tying run at the plate and one out, KSU hurler Kelly Holt plunked Derek Dietrich in the back, giving the Tech shortstop his third RBI of the game and cutting KSU's advantage to 7-4.  Holt (2-2) would be lifted for J.B. Johnson, who earned his third save of the season by striking out Tony Plagman and Cole Leonida to end the game.

Zak Griffith didn't factor in the decision for the Owls.  The sophomore pitched 6.2 solid innings, giving up a two-run home run in the first to Dietrich and an unearned run in the seventh inning.  Griffith allowed three hits while walking four and fanning four.