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POSTGAME INTERVIEW
KENNESAW, Ga. – It was another stellar day on the diamond for the Kennesaw State baseball team on Sunday afternoon as the Owls took a 14-4 win over Atlantic Sun Conference foe Northern Kentucky University, completing the series sweep of the Norse.
The win improves the Owls’ overall record to 14-10 and gives the black and gold a 4-2 record in the A-Sun after outscoring the Norse (2-22, 0-3 A-Sun) 41-9 during the three-game span.
The bats once again got going quickly for the Owls who put up two runs in the first inning as
Kal Simmons (Nashville, Ga./Berrien HS) and
Bo Way (Brunswick, Ga./Glynn Academy) each crossed the plate to give Kennesaw State the early advantage.
NKU managed to tie it up in the top of the third after stringing together a pair of hits to even up the contest. But the Owls regained the momentum shortly thereafter with Simmons driving in the go-ahead run one inning later with a double down the right-field line.
After one more Norse run in the fifth to make it three all, the Owls sent in seven runs in the bottom half of the inning, three alone after a bases loaded triple from sophomore
Jacob Bruce (Woodstock, Ga./Woodstock HS). A two-run error from the Norse followed by a
Max Pentecost (Winder, Ga./Winder-Barrow HS) RBI single then put the Owls up by seven heading into the sixth.
KSU tacked on one in the sixth and three more in the eighth as Simmons picked up two more RBI on a double to left-center field for the 10-run win.
Pentecost earned three of the 15 hits for the Owls during the win as the catcher went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Bruce had a productive day from the batter’s box as well, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored while Simmons earned three RBI off of a pair of doubles.
Way made it 19 straight games with a hit after singling through the middle in his final at bat of the day.
On the base paths, the Owls also took three stolen bases, one each from Simmons, Way and Pentecost.
From the mound, starting pitcher
Kevin Kyle (Atlanta, Ga./Georgia Perimeter Coll.) went six innings giving up just four hits and three runs while striking out four.
Colton Cross (Ringgold, Ga./Ringgold HS),
Catlan Kendrick (Sharpsburg, Ga./Northgate HS) and
Kevin McCoy (Gainesville, Fla./Andrew Coll.) then cleaned up in relief, not allowing a hit to NKU in the final three innings of work.
The Owls will be back in action this Tuesday, March 26, as the team hosts Alabama State in a 6 p.m. ET contest.
Keep up with Owls baseball all season by following KSU on Twitter
@KSUOwlNation and
@KSUOwlsBaseball, or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook.
Kennesaw State University is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
