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KENNESAW, Ga. – A perfect day at the plate for freshman
Kal Simmons helped power the Kennesaw State baseball team past in-state rival Mercer, 5-4, in a Sunday afternoon Atlantic Sun Conference Matchup.
Simmons (Nashville, Ga./Berrien HS) went 4-for-4 from the batter’s box after being bumped up to the second spot in the lineup, putting up three singles and a double to go along with his game-high two RBI and a run scored in what was a 13-hit day for the Owls (10-10, 1-2 A-Sun) as a team.
Starting pitcher
Kevin Kyle (Atlanta, Ga./Georgia Perimeter College) earned the win after going 6.2 innings allowing just one earned run on six hits and striking out four before closer
James Connell (Roswell, Ga./Georgia Perimeter College) earned his fifth save of the season with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth.
The Owls did most of their damage on the scoreboard early on in the ballgame, putting up a pair of runs in the first with a
Bo Way (Brunswick, Ga./Glynn Academy) RBI double that scored Simmons and extended the hit streak to 15 games for the junior. Way went on to score on a wild pitch from Mercer (16-5, 2-1 A-Sun) starter Ben Lumsden who lasted just 1.2 innings.
In the second, the Owls drove home two more to go up 4-2 as
Jacob Bruce (Woodstock, Ga./Woodstock HS) scored off of an
Alex Liquori (Brooks, Ga./Whitewater HS) single before catcher Max Penteconst (Winder, Ga./Winder-Barrow HS) was driven in by Simmons for the two-run edge.
The black and gold picked up their final run in the fourth with a Simmons sacrifice fly to center field to send home Bruce.
Mercer made things interesting in the seventh, scoring three runs to make it a one-run game after a Chesny Young double scored two.
The
Justin McCalvin (Leesburg, Ga./Lee County HS), Connell duo out of the bullpen held strong, however, allowing just three hits in the final 2.1 innings to seal the win for the Owls.
Bruce finished the game with three hits and a pair of runs in four at bats with Pentecost going 2-for-3 and
Peyton Hart (Sandy Cross, Ga./Franklin Co. HS) and Way each going 2-for-5. Simmons and Hart were each also good for a stolen base in the ballgame, Simmons picking up his fifth of the season and Hart earning his fourth.
The Owls will play one midweek game this Tuesday, March 19 at 5 p.m. when Savannah State comes to Stillwell Stadium.
Keep up with Owls baseball all season by following KSU on Twitter
@KSUOwlNation and
@KSUOwlsBaseball, or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook.
Kennesaw State University is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
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