Saturday, February 16
Kennesaw, Ga.
1 p.m.
Jax State
1
at
2
Kennesaw State
2/16/2013 3:54:00 PM | Baseball
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kody Belcher scored both runs as Kennesaw State claimed a 2-1 win over Jacksonville State in college baseball action on Saturday.
Kevin Kyle (1-0) scattered three hits and had five strikeouts in six innings on the mound to earn his first win, while Justin McCalvin recorded the final four outs to earn the save for the Owls. Adam Polk (0-1) got stuck with the loss, despite only giving up two hits in five innings on the mound for the Gamecocks.
As a matter of fact, Polk gave up back-to-back singles in the top of the first inning, and then did not allow another hit over the next five innings in his debut. He threw 68 pitches in the game, including 40 for strikes, with three walks and two strikeouts. The only run he allowed in the game was unearned, thanks to a Gamecock throwing error in the second inning.
The Owls (2-0) took an early lead after Belcher led off the second inning with a walk and then stole second. He moved to third on a Gamecock throwing error and scored after Anthony Duran hit a deep fly ball to center field for a sacrifice as Kennesaw took a 1-0 lead with the unearned run.
Kennesaw State tacked on another run in the seventh inning after Belcher was hit by a Bradley Rualston pitch to lead off the inning and moved to second when Chris McGowan walked. Cody Ponder was brought in to pitch for the Gamecocks as both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt. With the Jax State infield playing in, Kal Simmons slipped a ground ball through the left side to score Belcher and give the Owls a 2-0 lead.
The Gamecocks got on the scoreboard in the top of the eighth inning after Chase Silvani led off with a walk and Michael Bishop followed with a double in the left field corner. Eddie Mora-Loera then hit a deep fly to center field to score Silvani and cut the lead to 2-1. The Owls then got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning and the scoring threat.
Jax State threatened again in the ninth inning after Griff Gordon walked to lead off the inning and Andrew Bishop walked, but KSU's McCalvin recorded the next three outs to end the game and give the Owls their second straight win over the Gamecocks.
Michael Bishop and Gordon each had two hits to lead the Gamecocks, who finished the game with five hits.
The two teams will play the final game of the three-game opening series at 12 noon on Sunday, before JSU returns home to face UAB on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in the Gamecocks home opener.
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