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FLORENCE, Ala. - The Kennesaw State baseball team (18-8, 6-2) paired another offensive explosion with a solid start from Ryan Kennedy to take down North Alabama (4-23, 3-7) with an 11-3 win Saturday afternoon in Florence, Ala.
Leading 2-1 in the fourth inning after scoring one run from an error and another off a sacrifice bunt from Jake Coro, Nick Hassan hit a laser over the left-field wall of Mike D. Lane Field for the first home run of his career.
Nick Colina extended the KSU lead to 4-1 when the sophomore squeezed a hit through the middle of the diamond to plate fellow outfielder Joseph Gossett in the top of the fifth inning. Garrett Hodges got in on this weekend's action with a hard hit ball through the right side to cap the two-run frame for the Owls.
Colina built on his tremendous weekend with a three-run blast in the sixth inning, his third of the weekend and fourth in his last four games. The left fielder has hit six RBIs in his two games against North Alabama and 10 RBIs in his last five games. Colina now sits on four home runs in the 2021 season, tying with Terence Norman, Alex Carballo and Garrett Hodges.
It was a day of multiple firsts for the Kennesaw State team, as first baseman Logan Fink hit a no-doubter solo shot for his first career home run in the seventh inning.
Kennedy was relieved in the eighth inning by Nathan Holler after the left-handed hurler threw a personal-best seven innings. The junior was nearly flawless, letting up only one run on six hits while striking out five Lions.
The Owls scored their final two runs in the ninth inning, as the visiting team continually loaded the bases. Second baseman Jesse Sherrill brought Fink home with a sacrifice fly and Coro slid safely at the plate after a wild pitch over the head of Tyler Tolve for KSU's 11th run of the game.
With the win Saturday, the Kennesaw State baseball team are on a seven-game winning streak and have taken the series against the North Alabama Lions. The final matchup of the three-game set will be played Sunday, April 11 at 2 p.m. EST.
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.
