Pioneers Late Rally Falls Short at Kennesaw State

Friday, March 9

Kennesaw, GA

4 pm

Sacred Heart

2-7

Kennesaw St.

7-8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Sacred Heart	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	4	0
Kennesaw State	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	X	3	5	1

Pioneers Late Rally Falls Short at Kennesaw State

3/9/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

KENNESAW, Ga.— The Sacred Heart University baseball team tacked on two runs in the ninth inning but were unable to complete the comeback as Kennesaw State earned the 3-2 win on Friday afternoon.

The Pioneers (2-7) had the tying run on second base but Deviner McCray induced the pop out to give the Owls (7-8) the series-opening win at Stillwell Stadium.

Kennesaw State got on the board in the second inning as Griffin Helms ripped the two-run homer to right field off of senior James Taubl for the early lead. SHU struggled to find its footing offensively as Kyle Oliver and Stephen Thibault recorded the team's only two hits through six innings of play against AJ Moore.

The Owls added one more run in the bottom of the sixth as Jake Franklin picked up the RBI single to centerfield. Taubl settled down and allowed zero hits in his final two innings of work.

SHU was faced with the three-run deficit at the top of the ninth inning but senior Dan Schock led off the inning with a triple to left center field on the 3-2 pitch by Jake McLinskey to get the momentum going. He scored one batter later as sophomore Austin Markmann picked up the RBI groundout to short. The Owls then swapped out pitchers to Max Ryan for the lefty-on-lefty matchup against Elijah Brown.

The Pioneers earned the favor of the bases loaded thanks to back-to-back walks and a hit by pitch by Ryan that prompted the switch to McCray. Sophomore Bobby Garbuio stepped in and sent the 1-1 offering to left field for the sacrifice fly. Oliver was up next, working the count to 3-2 with the tying run on second base. McCray got him to get out in front of the pitch on the right corner of the plate, sending the ball high in the air for the pop out to third base.

Thibault led SHU at the dish with his first multi-hit game of the season. He has recorded a hit in three straight games along with Schock.

Taubl pitched a season-high eight innings and recorded a season-high six strikeouts in the loss. The southpaw scattered five hits on the bump, allowing three runs.

SHU concludes its spring break trip with a doubleheader tomorrow against Kennesaw State. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.