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KENNESAW, Ga. - The Kennesaw State baseball team took a game off of Liberty to cap the six straight games against the Lynchburg, Va. team with a 7-4 win Sunday afternoon in the Stillwell Stadium.
The Flames (35-12, 19-2) opened the scoring for the fifth straight game off a passed ball in the second inning, but the Owls (27-19, 13-8) responded in the next frame as Malik Spratling scored on a sacrifice bunt from his brother Tyler Simon.
The brother duo would play a part once again with a fourth-inning Jake Coro knock into right-center field, giving the Owls their first lead of the last two weekends with a 3-1 advantage.
The Kennesaw State bats heated up in the middle innings, as catcher Tyler Tolve led off the bottom of the fifth with a triple off the wall in left center. Garrett Hodges followed up yesterday's grand slam with a two-run bomb to right field, scoring Tolve and himself in the process.
This gave starting pitcher Ryan Kennedy a 5-1 cushion before being relieved in the sixth inning by Jared Rine. The leftie had another impressive performance, striking out six Flames in five innings. Giving up no earned runs, Kennedy picks up his seventh win of the season; the Sunday starter's sixth win in seven games moves him level with third-most victories by an ASUN pitcher this season.
After Liberty cut its deficit to 5-2 with a solo shot, Kennesaw State was able to load the bases before a scary moment in the sixth inning. A 1-1 pitch was hit hard by Tolve back at Liberty reliever Mason Hand, striking the hurler on his shin. The Flame went down before hopping back up to the sound of applause from the Stillwell Stadium crowd. He allowed one more run off an Alex Carballo sacrifice fly before being relieved by the Liberty coaching staff.
The Owls' bullpen, while allowing a few runs, were able to hold on and secure the win through the pitching of Jared Rine and Kolby Johnson. Kennesaw State ends a run of six straight games against Liberty with a 7-4 win.
The Owls return to the Stillwell Stadium Tuesday at 3 p.m., for the final game of their regular season against Wofford.
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.
