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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY. – The Kennesaw State baseball team held off a late rally from Northern Kentucky University to earn an Atlantic Sun Conference weekend series sweep, taking game three by a score of 12-7 at Bill Aker Baseball Complex on Sunday (April 12) afternoon.

The win improves the Owls' overall record to 19-16 and moves to 5-4 in A-Sun action after outscoring the Norse 30-14 in a three-game span. With the loss, Northern Kentucky slips to 10-21 overall and 0-6 in
conference play.

"Anytime you can get a sweep that's a good weekend. We played pretty good today and I was happy to come away with three games," head coach Mike Sansing said.

The Norse came all the way back from a 6-2 deficit with four runs in the sixth and seventh innings to tie the ballgame at 6-6. But, Kennesaw State held off the furious comeback attempt by scoring a
game-high six runs in the top of the eighth inning to secure its first A-Sun series sweep.

Deadlocked at 6-6 going to the eighth frame, the Owls' potent offense saved their best scoring inning of the series when they needed it the most. With the game on the line, KSU brought 11 batters to the plate and recorded six runs on four hits to put the game out of reach.

"Taylor has been swinging the bat really well and we had a chance to go to him late in the game. He was the sparkplug that got the eighth inning going for us," Sansing said.

Freshmen teammates Griffin Helms, Taylor Allum and Grant Williams combined for four RBI in the frame. Allum went 2-for-2 with two RBI in the inning, totaling a double and single in the inning to lead the Owls' attack. Kennesaw State totaled three sacrifice fly balls, three walks, three singles and a double for the late rally to pull away from the Norse.

"I just wanted to just get the inning going and wanted to get on base," Allum said. "When I came up to the plate we needed some insurance runs and I wanted to have a good at bat and that's exactly what happened."

The two squads played scoreless baseball up until the bottom of the third. For the second time in the series, NKU opened the game plating two runs in its third time at the plate, using a pair of doubled and an Owl error to take an early 2-0 advantage.

Kennesaw State quickly answered in the top of the fourth, placing three on the scoreboard in right field to take its first lead of the game. Chris McGowan, who entered the game with a 14-game hitting streak, led off the frame with an infield single and advanced to second on a ground out. Jeremy Howell followed with an RBI single through the left side to bring McGowan home for the Owls' first run of the game.

Trailing 2-1, Drew Davis followed Howell's RBI single with a two-run home run over the left field wall to give KSU a 3-2 lead. It was Davis' second home run in as many games played, as the sophomore from Rosewell, Georgia hit his first career homer against Troy last Wednesday.

The KSU offensive juggernaut continued in the top of the fifth inning for Kennesaw State, scoring three more runs to extend its lead to four runs. The Owls placed their first three on base with a two singles and a walk to set up Colin Bennett's sacrifice fly and Chris Erwin's two-run RBI double to extend their lead to four.

In all, nine Owls totaled at least one hit in the game, including five with two hits in the game. Logan Hutchinson (1-0) earned the win on the mound, tossing 2.0 innings on the mound, allowing one run on no hits. Will Lowman game out of the bullpen in the ninth and tossed a scoreless frame to shut the door and secure the weekend series' sweep over NKU.

"We are a pretty loose group and like to have fun and that's exactly what we went out and did today, have some fun," Allum said.

Kennesaw State will return to the diamond with five home games next week at Stillwell Stadium. The Owls will take on Jacksonville State and Georgia in back-to-back midweek games, before taking on A-Sun foe Florida Golf Coast University for a three-game set on April 17-19.

Season tickets are currently on sale for the full 29-game home schedule at $39 per ticket. Single-game tickets are also available at $6 for adults and $4 for youth (ages 3-12). Group tickets for 10 or more people are available for advanced purchase, excluding the Georgia (Feb. 17), Georgia Tech (Mar. 17) and Georgia Southern (Mar. 24) games when individual tickets will be $10 for adults and $6 for youth. To order season tickets click here, or contact the KSU Athletic Ticket Office at 470-578-OWLS (6957).
 
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