Feb. 21, 2006

Final Stats

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The day could not have started better for the Alabama State baseball team. Sunshine replaced clouds, starting pitcher Clinton Smith shut out a powerful Kennesaw State lineup in the first inning, and Hornet leadoff man Travis Johnson ripped a single to centerfield in ASU's first at-bat.

But it was about the only good news this day for the Hornets as they fell to Kennesaw State 9-0.

After Johnson, there was not another Hornet baserunner until the fifth inning. In the same span, Kennesaw racked up nine hits and eight runs to blow the game wide open.

Hornet reliever Cecil West did stop the bleeding when he entered the game in the fourth inning, but the damage was already done.

Kennesaw State seemed right at home in Paterson Field, which should be expected since they made several visits to Montgomery as participants in the Division II World Series. Last year, they moved to Division I and are expecting to be competitive in the Sun Belt conference. Martin Baker was particularly impressive for the Owls, with two hits and three RBI - including his first home run of the season.

The Hornets were able to only to get one runner as far as third base and only four runners in scoring position during the entire game. Designated hitter Corey Dauenheimer was the only offensive bright spot for the Hornets, stroking two line drive singles after struggling in the last several games.

Alabama State begins Southwestern Athletic Conference play Saturday when they host Alcorn State for a three-game weekend series. Games will be played Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. each day. The games will be played at Peter Crump Field and admission is free.