Florida Gulf Coast University rallied from five runs down to take the lead, but a high scoring contest would go the way of Kennesaw State University as the Owls defeated the Eagles, 14-13, in the rubber game of an Atlantic Sun Conference series in Kennesaw, Georgia.
Harrison Povey tied the FGCU record for runs in a game with five. It's the ninth time in FGCU program history that a player has scored five times in a contest. The junior went 4-for-5 at the plate, coming up a triple short of the cycle as he connected on the most hits he has recorded in a game in an Eagles uniform.
The Eagles (11-12, 4-2 ASUN) trailed 5-0 after one but rallied back with four in the second and three in the third to take a 7-5 lead. The big blow of the second was
Jacob Lojewski's three-run double to center, while an
Evan Dempsey RBI double in the third was followed by run-scoring ground outs of the bats of
Armani Newton and
Trevor Kole.
Kennesaw (13-10, 4-2 ASUN) came back to tie the game with single runs in the third and fourth. FGCU answered back to make it 8-7 in the fifth as Newton drove in Povey with a single to right. KSU answered in the bottom of the frame, making it 8-8 after five complete.
The Eagles continued to find ways to score runs, regaining the lead in the sixth. A
Mac Moise RBI double gave the Eagles the lead back, then a bases loaded walk to Dempsey allowed the second run of the inning to score. KSU would respond again with a pair of runs in the seventh to tie the game, 10-all. After keeping the Eagles off the board in the top of the seventh, KSU scored twice in the home half to take a 12-10 lead.
The Eagles would respond yet again. A Kole sacrifice fly plated Povey to cut the lead in half. One batter later,
Charles Davalan singled into right, scoring Moise to tie the game at a dozen runs each. Kennesaw State found a way to score two more times in the home half of the inning, putting the Eagles behind the 8-ball going to the ninth.
FGCU would quickly find itself down to its last out in the ninth, but the Green & Blue continued to fight.
Harrison Povey completed his 4-for-5 day with a solo homer just over the fence in right-center to cut the lead to one. Down to his last strike,
Mac Moise drew a walk to reach base safely for the sixth time in the contest. Unlike yesterday's second game, which saw the Eagles score twice in the ninth to win, FGCU didn't quite have enough magic. A pop out into foul territory on a 3-2 pitch would end the game with the tying run on base, giving the Owls the victory.
Every batter in the order had either a hit or a run scored for FGCU. In addition to Povey's career day at the plate, Newton's three RBI were also a personal-best.
The Eagles will return to Florida to take on cross-coast rival Florida Atlantic University this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in Boca Raton.
