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ATLANTA, Ga. – With a five-run eighth inning against Georgia State on Wednesday night, the Kennesaw State baseball team completed the come-from-behind win and the season sweep, downing the Panthers 11-6 at the GSU Baseball Complex.
 
KSU combined for nine runs in the final two innings, putting up 16 total hits, along with a hitless final three innings from the hill to keep the nation's longest win-streak alive at 13 games.
 
The Owls pick up win number 27 on the season, setting their overall record at 27-20 while sinking the Panthers to 23-26.
 
Georgia State came out and threatened in the top of the first, putting two runners on early in the inning with a hit and an error. But the Owls didn't budge as starting pitcher Chris Erwin picked up a strikeout followed by a ground ball to work out of the two-on jam unscathed.
 
But the errors would catch the Owls in the second as a groundball through the middle infield would score the first run of the night for the home team. Another costly infield miscue then brought home one more, putting the Panthers up 2-0 after two complete.
 
The lead was short lived for GSU however as the Owls put across two of their own in the top of the third. Matt Bahnick drew the walk to start things off, making his way to third on a stand-up double from Clint Wynn. A Kal Simmons sacrifice fly brought home Bahnick before Max Pentecost extended the nation's longest hit streak to 28 games with a single to left, scoring Wynn for the tied ballgame.
 
Georgia State kept the scoring rally alive in the top of the third as the fourth KSU error of the night put on Chase Raffield before the Panther left fielder was brought in for the 3-2 GSU lead.
 
The first earned run charged to the Owls came in the bottom of the fourth as Raffield was driven in on an RBI double from Nic Wilson after relief pitcher Will Solomon started things off with two strikeouts in the inning. Another KSU error then brought in Wilson to set the Panthers up 5-2.
 
GSU scratched across one more in the bottom of the fifth with Matt Rose knocking the double before coming home on an error to pad the Georgia State lead at 6-2.
 
But the Owls weren't finished, gutting out a five run top of the eighth to take the lead for the second time in the contest. Jacob Bruce started off the rally after being hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. Pentecost then sent a single to left before #Chris McGowan drove a double down the right field line to score Bruce.
 
Designated hitter Brennan Morgan then sent in Pentecost with an Alex Liquori triple bringing in Morgan and Bahnick hitting in Liquori to put the Owls in the lead by one, 7-6.
 
KSU then came out in true fashion in the top of the last, busting the game open with the bats with Pentecost singling in Simmons, the 10^th three-hit game of the year for Pentecost. Morgan then completed his end of the hit-and-run call, scoring Pentecost and Bruce with the bases clearing triple, putting KSU on top 10-6.
 
Liquori then added one on for good measure with an RBI single to score Morgan before Justin McCalvin closed the door on the Panthers, keeping the nation's longest win streak alive at 13 games and counting.
 
James Connell earned the win, his fifth of the season, while McCalvin earned save number 10, setting a new KSU single-season save record in the NCAA Division I era. The two combined for three innings of work not allowing a hit, McCalvin striking out four.
 
Offensively, Pentecost, Morgan and Wynn each tapped three hits, Pentecost driving in two and scoring two and Morgan driving in four and scoring a pair as well.
 
McGowan, Liquori and Bahnick each knocked two hits while combining for four RBIs and three runs scored.
 
The Owls return to Atlantic Sun Conference play this weekend, starting off a three-game series at Northern Kentucky this Friday, May 9, at 3 p.m. ET in Highland Heights, Ky.
  
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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