Kennesaw, Ga. - Kennesaw State used two unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth to rally and defeat the Georgia State baseball team 3-2 on a cold and damp Wednesday evening at Stillwell Stadium. Junior Charley Olson earned the tough-luck loss after pitching 8.0 innings and scattering just five hits.
Georgia State dropped to 8-8 on the season and stand 2-2 on its current season-high seven-game road trip which will end in Clarksville, Tenn. this weekend. Kennesaw State improved to 8-10 with the win.
"Charley did a really fantastic job on the mound tonight," commented head coach Greg Frady. "I am so disappointed to waste an outing like that. I want to give credit to Kennesaw State, but I also kind of feel as though we just gave that one away. We are not always going to score at will. If you are a good team, you need to figure out how to score and we did not do that tonight."
Olson (1-3) earned a loss for the second time this season when allowing two earned runs or fewer. He struck out seven while walking just one and allowing just one earned run in the third inning.
The host Owls got on the board first in the bottom of the third as Clint Roques scored from third on a single by Tyler Stubblefield.
Georgia State scored two runs in the top of the sixth as Olson got into a groove on the mound, retiring 13-straight at one point. But, the Panther offense left nine runners stranded on base.
Redshirt-sophomore Joey Wood, who was named CAA Player of the Week on Monday, scored from third on a throwing error by KSU catcher Ronnie Freeman to tie the game.
After redshirt-junior Brett Maxwell was hit by a pitch, sophomore Brandon Williams doubled down the left field line, his eighth of the year, scoring Maxwell and giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead.
Williams finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate, raising his batting average to .410 on the season.
The Owls tying and winning runs came as part of a wild bottom of the ninth. Sean McClurken led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error by senior Carl Moniz. Stubblefield then reached on a bunt single to first base. Josh Whitaker then bunted back to Olson, who threw to third to try for the force, but was late on abang-bang call, loading the bases.
Sophomore Justin Malone relieved Olson and struck out Drew Fowlkes to record the first out of the inning.
Freeman followed by reaching on a called catcher's interference as the ball dribbled back to the pitcher in what look like a game-ending double-play ball, plating McClurken. The next pitch hit Ross Tendler to force in the go-ahead run to give the Owls the victory.
Kennesaw State starter Catlan Kendrick did not factor in the decision after pitching 5.0 innings, allowing just three hits and striking out four.
J.B. Johnson (2-0) earned the win after pitching a perfect ninth.
Junior Mark Micowski went 2-for-4 at the plate, raising his batting average to .458.
The Panthers will return to action on Friday at the Governor's Challenge in Charksville, Tenn. State will face Centenary on Friday night at 7:30 p.m., before facing host Austin Peay at 2 p.m. on Saturday. State will face Centenary again on Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. before returning to Atlanta.
Tickets for the next home game on March 23rd against Alabama State can be purchased by visiting the box office, by calling 1-866-GA-STATE or visiting any Ticketmaster location.
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