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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – It took seven innings for the Kennesaw State baseball team get the offense going, but the bats woke up with a roar on Sunday afternoon as the Owls scored 12 runs in the final three innings to complete the series sweep of Northern Kentucky, 13-4.
 
The win gives KSU its fourth consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference series sweep and matches the longest win streak by any team in the nation this season at 16 and counting.
 
With the landslide win, KSU earns its 30^th of the season, matching its total from 2013, and giving KSU a 30-20 overall record and a 14-9 ranking in the league standings.
 
NKU, now 14-34 overall and 6-18 in the A-Sun, took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second after an error brought home the Norse's first run. The Norse then doubled their money, going up 2-0 after an RBI single from Logan Spurlin extended the home team advantage.
 
The Owls got one back in the fifth as Cornell Nixon and Kal Simmons went off for back-to-back two-out doubles, Simmons shooting in Nixon to cut the NKU lead in half.
 
But the Norse responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth off of a bases clearing double from catcher Cody Kuzniczci to make it a 4-1 contest.
 
KSU then sparked up the comeback in the seventh, Chris Erwin and Nixon starting off with a pair of base hits with Jacob Bruce loading the bases with a walk. Max Pentecost then made it a 31-game hit streak with a 2-RBI double to make it a one-run affair.
 
After an intentional walk of Bo Way, Alex Liquori came up with the pinch hit 3-RBI double to give KSU its first lead of the day at 6-4. Andrew Austin checked into the game on the hill following the stretch, recording the only 3-up, 3-down inning of the day for KSU.
 
Justin McCalvin then got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eight, sending the two-run lead into the ninth when the Owls rallied once again, scoring seven runs to bust the seams off of the game.
 
Pentecost cracked his eight homer of the season over the left field wall before new designated hitter Brennan Morgan reached first on a 2-out error. A single from Chris McGowan and a walk from Matt Bahnick loaded up the bases full of Owls before Erwin was hit by an 0-2 fastball to score Morgan.
 
Nixon's single then scored one more with Simmons sending his second double of the day to right field to add two more to the scoreboard for the Owls with Pentecost hitting his second extra-base hit of the inning. The double from the catcher scored two more as KSU cruised to the 13-4 win.
 
After allowing 10 hits through the first 3.2 innings, the KSU pitching staff allowed just four hits in the final 5.1 with Will Solomon earning the win, his first of the year.
 
Offensively KSU put up double-figure hits for the 32^nd time this season, Nixon becoming the fifth Kennesaw State player to reach the four-hit mark this season with his 4-for-5 day with three runs scored and one driven in.
 
Pentecost had a 3-for-5 day with two doubles and his homer, giving him five RBIs with a pair of runs scored. Simmons had a two-hit day as did Erwin with nine different KSU batters coming up with a hit.
 
KSU will end the five-game road trip on Tuesday, May 13, with a 5 p.m. ET contest at Western Carolina.

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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