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FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Kennesaw State baseball team capitalized on 13 hits and seven Florida Gulf Coast errors on Sunday afternoon, the Owls walking away winners 11-9 in the Sunday Atlantic Sun Conference series finale at Swanson Stadium.
 
KSU picked up win 15 on the season, moving its record to 15-20 on the year and 3-9 in the conference, as Jacob Bruce led the offensive charge with a 3-for-4 day with two RBI.
 
FGCU, now 21-12 on the season and 7-2 in the league standings, again took an early lead, going up 3-0 after the first two innings of play. But the Owls answered with a run in the third as Kal Simmons scored his first of four runs off of a wild pitch.
 
The Eagles added three more over the next two innings, however, taking a 6-1 lead into the top of the fifth when KSU managed to cut the lead down to just two runs at 6-4. The Owls strung together four consecutive hits with a big two RBI double coming from Bruce followed by a run-scoring single from Colin Bennett.
 
In the sixth it was KSU that grabbed the lead, sending 10 batters up to the plate in the six-run half inning. Jeremy Howell started things off with a walk and was sent home on the first of three errors committed by the Eagles in the sixth. Bo Way then made it three straight games with a double as he drove in two followed by a two-bagger from Chris McGowan that scored two more, putting the Owls up 10-6.
 
But the Eagles weren't done, cutting the KSU lead down to just one run at 10-9 after scoring three after the stretch with four hits, two of those for extra bases.
 
After a quiet eighth inning from both teams, the Owls added an insurance run, Simmons scoring on a sacrifice fly from Bruce for the 11-9 edge. FGCU then loaded up the bases in the bottom of the last, but James Connell held strong on the hill ending the ballgame with a groundball out to send the Owls home winners.
 
Bruce had the big day at the plate with his three hits, but the Owls also saw four two-hit performances with Simmons, Pentecost, Way and McGowan each belting a pair. Pentecost drove in two and scored one as well as he extended his hit streak to 16 games while Way and McGowan each drove in two runs.
 
Freshman Gabe Friese picked up his first collegiate win on the mound, going 2.1 innings allowing five hits while Connell came on to earn his second save, tossing the final 2.2 allowing just two hits.
 
The Owls will back at the friendly confines of Stillwell Stadium this Wednesday, April 9, for a 6 p.m. ET contest with Jacksonville State.
  
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State baseball news, follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsBaseball or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.

For more information on how to purchase tickets, please call the KSU ticket office at 770-423-6957, or by visiting KSUOwls.com/tickets.
 

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