BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF) 

ATLANTA, Ga. - A pair of back-to-back home runs off the bats of Nick Hassan and Malik Spratling aided the Kennesaw State baseball team's stellar pitching to a 5-1 win over the No. 24 Yellow Jackets Friday night in Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium.

It began as a pitching battle to remember between the Owls (25-12, 12-3) and the Jackets (20-17), as two of college baseball's very best in Jake Rice and Brant Hurter faced off in the series opener. 

Both aces left their opponents scoreless until the sixth inning, when Georgia Tech's Justyn-Henry Malloy doubled to left field and took a 1-0 lead for the hosts. In what was such a low-scoring affair, it was difficult to visualize a way back for Kennesaw State. 

Hurter began to lose the control he displayed all game in the seventh inning, hitting center fielder Alex Carballo with a pitch and walking powerhouse Terence Norman. Nick Hassan started the game at first base for the second time this season, as Head Coach Mike Sansing tried to get as many right-handed bats as possible into his lineup against Tech's leftie. Down in the count 0-2, Hassan golfed one to deep left field and clanged his three-run bomb off the metal siding of the John and Mary Brock Football Facility. The home run was the second of Hassan's season and career, last rounding the bases on April 10 against North Alabama. 

With the Owls taking a 3-1 lead, designated hitter Malik Spratling was next in the batter's box. The transfer from Georgia Highlands College started his first game in over a month on Friday night. He took the first pitch for a strike before nailing an outside pitch to deep center field, hitting his first big fly as an Owl and extending the KSU lead to 4-1. 

Jared Rine came in for Rice in the bottom frame of the inning, ending the starter's night. The transfer from Presbyterian became the first ASUN pitcher to win eight games on Friday, cementing himself among the winningest hurlers in college baseball this season. In his six innings against the Yellow Jackets, the Birmingham, Ala. native allowed one earned run on three hits while striking out six hitters. Rice entered the contest top 10 in the nation in ERA, WHIP and wins; with the graduate's performance tonight, it's easy to see Rice maintaining those positions. 

Left fielder Garrett Hodges tacked on an insurance run with a base knock to center field on a full count, as Norman rounded third hard and scored without a throw. 

Rine now had a 5-1 lead to protect and he did so with ease. In his fifth save of the season, the sophomore allowed a lone hit over three innings. The six-foot-four rightie forced a groundout to Tyler Simon with a runner on second, securing the 5-1 win for the Owls. This is KSU's first win against GT since the 11-6 victory on April 21, 2015.

Kennesaw State will look to win its fifth series in a row Saturday at 4 p.m. at Russ Chandler Stadium. 

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.