THE BASICS
Records: Kennesaw State (14-17, 3-2), USC Upstate (14-19, 1-4)
Score: Kennesaw State 8, USC Upstate 5
Starting Pitching Matchup: RHP Kevin Hickey vs. RHP AJ Moore
Key Players: Chris Erwin (2-for-3, three RBI), Taylor Allum (2-for-3, RBI), Corey Greeson (2-for-4), Grant Williams (2-for-4), Jeremy Howell (2-for-4, RBI), AJ Moore (Win), Gabe Friese (Save)
 
Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (XML)
 
THE STORYLINE: 
· Thirteen hits scored eight runs for Kennesaw State Saturday afternoon, backing solid pitching performances from AJ Moore and Gabe Friese to secure the ASUN series by defeating USC Upstate 8-5 at Stillwell Stadium.
· The top four hitters in the Owls' lineup combined 8-for-15 with four RBI, while Moore (3-2) picked up his third win of the season and senior RHP Friese earned his first career save.
· With the win, Kennesaw State improved to 14-17 overall and 3-2 in ASUN action, while USC Upstate dropped to 14-19 overall and 1-4 in league play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
· Chris Erwin (2-for-3, three RBI), Taylor Allum (2-for-3, RBI), Corey Greeson (2-for-4) and Grant Williams (2-for-4) led KSU offensively, combining for eight of the Owls' 13 hits and four RBI.
· Erwin, a Grayson, Ga., native drove in runs in the first, third and fifth innings to lead the Black and Gold with three RBI on the day.
· The Owls plated four runs through three innings, as the first four runs of the ballgame were scored by the top three hitters in the lineup (Williams, Greeson and Allum) and set the tone offensively on the day in which KSU scored two three-run (third and fifth) frames to take a 7-3 advantage into the final third of the contest.
· Moore, a RHP from Dacula, Ga., native, tossed 6.0 solid innings in which the righty allowed just five hits and three runs while punching out six Spartan batters.
· He was picked up by senior RHP Friese, a Kennesaw native, who worked 2.1 scoreless innings. Friese alllowed just two hits to pick up the save.
 
#NESTNOTES: 
· Grant Williams' single in the first inning left no doubt in extending his hitting streak to 16 games. . His 16-game hitting streak is a team and season high for the junior.
· The Owls totaled 10 or more hits in a ballgame for the 18^th time in 31 contests this season Saturday afternoon.
· Taylor Allum reached base safely for the 25^th straight game Saturday afternoon. The KSU D-I record is 36 games by Max Pentecost in 2014.
· Jeremy Howell hit his fourth career home run in the bottom half of the eighth inning. He finished the day 2-for-4 with a double and HR.
· The Owls have now won 12 of their last 13 games versus USC Upstate, outscoring them 96-53 during that stretch.
 
UP NEXT
Kennesaw State and USC Upstate wraps up its ASUN series Sunday afternoon at Stillwell Stadium. The Owls and Spartans are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., and the game will air live on ASUN.TV.