Ball State University
Kennesaw State
Baseball Drops Season Opener At Kennesaw State, 3-2
February 19, 2011 | Baseball
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Ball State baseball team opened the 2011 season with 3-2 loss at Kennesaw state Friday afternoon in head coach Alex Marconi's first game at the helm of the Cardinals. The Owls scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as Sean McClurken notched an RBI single to secure the victory.
Junior right-hander Cal Bowling (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) got the call for the Cardinals in the season opener and worked 4.1 innings of six-hit baseball as he allowed two runs in the no decision. Bowling found himself in early trouble as the Owls put two aboard in the second inning but he induced the first of three ground ball double plays for the Cardinals to get out of the inning unscathed.
Kennesaw State (1-0) opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning as the Owls tallied three hits in the inning. Will Howard and Ronnie Freeman each posted run-scoring singles against Bowling to put KSU in front 2-0.
Ball State was limited to just one hit in the first six innings of the game as KSU right-hander Josh Carr worked 5.0 shutout innings and struck out four batters. The Cardinals finally found their footing in the top of the seventh inning against right-hander Alan Busenitz.
Busenitz recorded the first two outs of the inning quickly before redshirt sophomore Dominic Catanzarite (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) drew a walk. Junior second baseman Mitch Widau ripped a 0-2 pitch high over the right field wall for the Cardinals' first home run of the season to tie the game at 2-2. The home run was the first of Widau's career after going 50 games without a long ball to open his career.
The Cardinals got strong work out of the bullpen from freshman right-hander Jacob Brewer (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph's) as he tossed 2.0 shutout innings and limited KSU to just one hit. Senior right-hander Scott Brothers Jr. (Monticello, Ind./Gulf Coast CC) came in after Brewer and quickly worked out a jam as he stranded two runners on base in the seventh inning by inducing an infield fly and a routine fly ball to right field.
Ball State tried to manufacture the go ahead run in the top of the ninth inning against right-hander Andrew Austin. Sophomore Blake Beemer (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) led off the inning with a single up the middle. Beemer quickly stole second base and advanced to third on a KSU throwing error.
Kennesaw State was able to get a ground ball for the first out of the inning, holding the runner at third base. The Cardinals attempted a suicide squeeze play with one out in the ninth inning to score the go-ahead run but Catanzarite was unable to get the bat on the ball and Beemer was tagged out heading back to third base to end the threat.
The Owls used the momentum from their defense to quickly generate the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Peyton Hart led off the inning by working a walk on a full count pitch from Brothers to set the table. Kennesaw State effectively laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Hart into scoring position. McClurken ended the afternoon as he lined a 2-2 pitch up the middle to plate the game-winning run from second base.
Brothers (0-1) was charged with the loss as he allowed one run on one hit in 2.0 innings of work. The Cardinals limited KSU to just three runs on eight hits as they turned three double plays in the victory and stranded seven owls on base. Austin (1-0) notched the victory in relief as he worked a scoreless ninth inning.
Ball State and Kennesaw State will continue its three-game series Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. with senior left-hander Derek Grabner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Lincoln Trail) getting the nod for the Cardinals.
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