THE BASICS
Records: Kennesaw State (4-3), Winthrop (4-2)
Score: Kennesaw State 13, Winthrop 1
Starting Pitching Matchup: RHP Colton Rendon vs. RHP Gabe Friese
Key Players:  David Chabut (1-for-3, 2 RBI); Austin Upshaw (2-for-4, 4 RBI); Corey Greeson (2-for-5, 3 RBI); Gabe Friese (1-1)
 
Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (XML)

THE STORYLINE: 
·  A seven-run second inning explosion pushed Kennesaw State past Winthrop Sunday afternoon, defeating the Eagles 13-1 to earn the weekend series by taking the final two games.  
· The Owls scored in four different innings, with three of the four plating two or more runs including a six hit, seven-run outburst to propel KSU past the Eagles.
· With the victory, the Owls improved to 4-3 overall while Winthrop lost its second-straight game to put its record at 4-2 after six games.  

HOW IT HAPPENED: 
· After Winthrop took a short 1-0 lead in the top of the second, Kennesaw State answered in a big way with seven runs on six hits in the bottom half.
· 11 Owls stepped up to the plate in the frame, scattering five singles, one double, earning a walk and hit by pitch to plate to take a 7-1 lead into the third.
· In the frame, junior Taylor Allum (RBI single), sophomore David Chabut (two-RBI single), senior Corey Greeson (RBI single) and junior Austin Upshaw (three-RBI double) all drove home runs to give KSU a six-run lead they never surrendered.
· The Owls' hot bats continued in the third and fifth innings, plating two and three, respectively, to push their lead to 12-1 after five complete.
· With the bats rolling, right-handed senior Gabe Friese made his second start on the mound this season and worked an impressive 6.0 frames.
· The Kennesaw native allowed just two hits on one run while striking out seven during the day to earn his first victory of the season.
· Friese was efficient from the start, when he tossed 15 pitches in a 1-2-3 inning in a scoreless first and retired nine of 10 Eagles from the third through the fifth.
· Senior Turner Watkins relieved Friese and was impressive, striking out four of his six batters faced to keep Winthrop off the board in 2.0 innings of work.
· Overall, 11 KSU batters totaled at least a hit in the game and five –Greeson (2-for-5), Upshaw (2-for-4), Griffin Helms (2-for-4), Jeremy Howell (2-for-4) and Garrett Hodges (2-for-3)—scattered 16 hits on the day including two doubles and a home run.
 
QUOTEABLE
"Overall it was a good weekend for us. We pitched extremely well today and got innings where we scored multiple runs," said head coach Mike Sansing. "It's encouraging to see us make strides at the plate and to see our pitching staff improve."
 
#NESTNOTES: 
· The Owls' seven-run second inning marked the first time since March 24, 2013 KSU plated seven in a single game at Stillwell Stadium.
· The seven-run inning marked the fifth time since 2013 the Owls scored seven runs in a single inning – 200 plus games over that span.
· Gabe Friese's victory on Sunday gave him his first of the season, and now sits four wins away from becoming KSU's all-time leader.
· Junior Griffin Helms hit his first home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth, and now has six career home runs wearing the Black and Gold.
· Austin Upshaw drove in four RBI on the day, tying his career high he set in 2016 against USC Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C.
· Freshman RHP Jordan Krueger made his collegiate debut out of the bullpen, working a perfect ninth inning to help cap off a weekend series win.

UP NEXT
The Owls return to action on Tuesday and Wednesday, taking on Power 5 opponents Georgia and Georgia Tech in back-to-back road non-conference contests. Kennesaw State and Georgia begin the week with a midweek tilt at Foley Field in Athens and is slated to begin at 5 p.m.