Kennesaw, Ga. ? The Stetson baseball team (2-3, 1-1 Atlantic Sun) split a doubleheader Wednesday in freezing temperatures at conference rival Kennesaw State, beating the Owls 4-1 in the opener before falling 7-6 in the nightcap on a walk-off RBI single.  Junior righthander Blake Marsocci (Okeechobee, Fla.) tossed six and two-thirds innings of one-hit ball to lead the Hatters to a win in the opener.

Sophomore DH Aaron Crittenden (Fort Myers, Fla.) gave Stetson a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning in the first game with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field that scored sophomore second baseman Casey Frawley (New Haven, Conn.). 

After Kennesaw State tied the game in the bottom of the third on an unearned run that scored on an error, the Hatters grabbed the lead back for good in the fifth in much the same fashion.  Sophomore center fielder Erich Holland (Louisville, Ky.) helped Stetson score without the benefit of a hit: he was hit by a pitch, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch by Owls starter Chad Jenkins and then scored when Frawley's grounder was misplayed by KSU second baseman Jacob Robbins.

In the eighth inning, Stetson again turned to the RBI sacrifice fly to drive in a pair of insurance runs.  With the bases loaded and nobody out after a single and two walks, senior right fielder Justin Bass (DeLand, Fla.) hit a long fly to right field that allowed freshman third baseman Jacob DeGrom (DeLeon Springs, Fla.) to tag up and score from third.  The next batter, catcher Josh Clendenin (Atlanta, Ga.) did the exact same thing to bring home junior first baseman Jeremy Cruz (Miami, Fla.)

Marsocci pitched brilliantly in his first start of the season, striking out seven in 6.2 innings of work while giving up just one hit, one walk and one unearned run.  He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, consistently locating his off-speed and breaking pitches despite the unseasonably cold temperature in North Georgia that never topped 35 degrees.  Sophomore Justin Dechert (Boynton Beach, Fla.) earned his first save of 2008 with 2.1 shutout innings in which he allowed just four hits.  He struck out two of the three KSU batters in the ninth to nail down the win.

The nightcap was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Hatters and Owls trade scoring rallies nearly inning-for-inning.  As in the first game, Stetson scored in the top of the first, this time on a Crittenden RBI single.  After an RBI sacrifice fly tied the game in the bottom of the inning, the Hatters got two more runs in their next turn at bat.  With two out and runners on first and second, Cruz smashed a ball to deep center field that KSU centerfielder Martin Baker couldn't quite get his glove on; both runners scored and Cruz made it into third with a standup triple.

Kennesaw State loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the second and would get two runs to tie the game, but DeGrom warded off further damage by turning an unassisted inning-ending double play on a hard-hit line drive.

Down 4-3 with two out in the fifth, junior left fielder Brian Pruitt (Miami, Fla.) singled and freshman shortstop Robert Crews (Port Charlotte, Fla.) followed with his first career home run, a rising line drive over the right-center field fence to put Stetson ahead 5-4.

As was the theme of the game, that lead would not stand up.  With two out and a runner on second in the bottom of the same frame, Kennesaw State right fielder Jay Morrow flashed opposite field power by driving a pitch out of the park to right field, giving KSU back a 6-5 lead.  Crittenden brought the Hatters even again by leading off the bottom of the seventh with a home run to right field on a hanging breaking ball thrown by Owl reliever Wes Tignor.

Freshman reliever Nick Bohne, making his Hatter debut, was summoned by Head Coach Pete Dunn with one out in the seventh into what seemed an extremely intimidating situation: bases loaded and the slugger Morrow at the plate.  However, Bohne struck out both Morrow and designated hitter Josh Whitaker to end the inning, freezing Whitaker with a wicked curve ball on the inner half of the plate.

Eventually it would be the Owls that would strike the last blow in the bottom of the ninth.  Robbins led off with a double to right center field; after he was bunted over to third, left fielder Ric Bishop laced a single into center field to deliver a 7-6 win for KSU.

Justin Freeman threw three innings of one-hit shutout ball to earn the win for the Owls, striking out four Hatters in the process.  Bohne was charged with the loss despite allowing only two hits and one run in two innings.  Junior righty Andy Mauldin (Gainesville, Fla.) struck out six batters in three innings of relief earlier in the game.

Crittenden went three for four with two RBI while junior catcher Brad Pippa (Danbury, Conn.) got his first base hit of the season.  Robbins, Whitaker and first baseman Andrew Martin had two hits each for the Owls (3-3, 1-1 A-Sun).

The two teams close out the three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Stillwell Stadium.  Bill Topping will broadcast the action; his commentary can be accessed from the official online home of Stetson Athletics, www.gohatters.com.