MADISON, Ala. - Kennesaw State (11-9, 2-1 Atlantic Sun Conference) fell to the North Alabama Lions (7-12, 1-2 ASUN), 4-2, to conclude its 2024 conference-opening series inside Toyota Field Sunday.
Catcher
Nick Hassan extended his reached-base streak to a 2024 team-best 15 games while
Brayden Eidson improved his hit streak to eight.
Starter
Smith Pinson (0-5) pitched seven frames allowing only three earned runs.
Hassan notched the first hit of the game for the Owls. UNA struck first with one run in the bottom of the third to take an early lead. The home team added another in the fourth to take a 2-0 advantage.
Freshman
Shamaar McDuffie doubled with two outs in the top fifth, setting up Eidson who singled up the middle to collect the first RBI for KSU. UNA held just a 2-1 lead heading into the seventh.
Nate Anderson led off the seventh getting hit by a UNA pitch. During
Hudson Mimbs' at-bat two batters later, Anderson stole second and reached third on a Lion error. Mimbs then launched a shot to right that bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double, scoring Anderson and evening the game at two apiece.
The Lions added two runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 4-2 lead and held on for the final two innings to secure the victory.
Righty
Tanner Franklin pitched a clean 1-2-3 eighth inning of relief for KSU.
UP NEXT
Kennesaw State returns to the Shake for an ASUN home-opening series against FGCU beginning Friday, March 22. Fans can purchase tickets
here. All three games against the Eagles will be broadcast on the ESPN+.
