Baseball Outslugged by Kennesaw State

Saturday, March 26

Kennesaw, Ga.

2 p.m.

University of North Florida

9-15, 1-4

Kennesaw State

15-7, 5-0

North Florida

Kennesaw State

Sequera hit one of three of UNF's home runs Saturday. He has 10 for his UNF career.

Photo by: Todd Drexler

3/26/2022 5:18:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Ospreys Homer Three Times Despite the Loss

KENNESAW, Ga. - UNF baseball homered three times and five Ospreys notched multi-hit games but the Kennesaw State (15-7, 5-0 ASUN) bats replied with 17 runs as North Florida (9-15, 1-4 ASUN) fell in game two of three with the Owls, 17-9, Saturday, March 26.

Isaiah Byars homered on the first pitch of the game, kick-starting a four-hit game for the infielder. Abraham Sequera and Justin Holmes also launched home runs, while Cade Westbrook and Grant Grodi joined with multi-hit games.

UNF has tallied double-digit hits in seven consecutive games, its longest such streak since March of 2018.

KSU 17, UNF 9

Pitchers of Record
Win: Kolby Johnson (1-0)
Loss: Zach Chappell (0-4)
Save: Jared Rine (4)

Line Scores
UNF | 9R, 16H, 4E, 8 LOB
KSU | 17R, 20H, 3E, 8 LOB

Behind the Line Score

Isaiah Byars took the first pitch of the game out of the park with a solo home run to right center.
KSU tied it and took the lead, 2-1, in the second with some small ball. A single, walk, sac bunt and sac fly scored one. Josh Hatcher chopped one to Grant Grodi at second base, but Hatcher beat the throw to first to allow KSU to score another.
Abraham Sequera gave UNF the lead again with one swing of the bat, belting a three-run home run to right center from the right side of the plate in the third. Byars set the table with a double on an 0-2 pitch to leadoff the inning before Brock Edge reached on an error off a sac bunt.
UNF wasn't done scoring in the third. Cade Westbrook doubled on a 3-2 offering, took third on Aidan Sweatt's sac bunt and scored via Dallen Leach's RBI groundout.
Leach stole second and scored thanks to Grodi's single up the middle, completing a five-run third.
UNF tacked on two more in the fourth for an 8-2 lead. Byars started the scoring again, singling to center and scoring on Edge's triple, a chopper over Donovan Cash at first base.
Westbrook laced a one-hopper to Cash Young at third base before the third baseman got Edge in a rundown between third and home. Westbrook advanced to second on the rundown, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Aidan Sweatt's RBI infield single.
KSU tried to score its third run in the fourth on a wild pitch, but catcher Dallen Leach tossed it on the mark to Zach Chappell for the out at the plate.
Six hits capped off by a two-run home run to right center from Hatcher vaulted KSU ahead, 9-8, in the fifth. Four of those runs came with two outs. Hatcher's home run came just pitches after a ball was ruled just foul on what would have been a home run.
UNF pitcher Clayton Boroski made an amazing diving catch on a bunt attempt before doubling up the runner at second to limit damage in the sixth. KSU did score a run after a trio of hits to start the inning.
Justin Holmes tagged a solo home run to right field in the seventh, cutting the deficit to one.
Errors extended KSU's seventh, allowing the Owls to score four more for a 14-9 Kennesaw State lead.
KSU's Hatcher completed the cycle with a two-RBI triple as part of a three-run eighth, extending KSU's lead.

Statistical Leaders
KSU

Josh Hatcher | 4-for-6, 5 RBI, 3R, hit for the cycle
Cash Young | 2-for-3, 2R, 3RBI, 2BB
Hudson Mimbs | 1-for-3, 3RBI, 2R

UNF

Isaiah Byars | 4-for-5, HR, 3R, 2B
Abraham Sequera | 3-for-5, HR, 3RBI
Grant Grodi | 2-for-4, RBI
Cade Westbrook | 2-for-5, 2R, 2B
Justin Holmes | 2-for-4, R, RBI

Notes

Sequera reached 10-career home runs.
North Florida knocked KSU starter John Bezdicek out after 2.1 innings, ushering him into his shortest start of his season. Bezdicek allowed six runs, five earned.
UNF has notched double-digit hits in seven-straight games.
Edge had his hits in consecutive at-bats streak snapped at nine.
It was UNF's third multi-home run game of the year.
North Florida's seven-straight games with double-digit hits ties its longest streak since doing so between March 17 and March 29.
Byars has tallied 11 multi-hit games this year and a pair of four-hit games.
It was UNF's first three-home run game of the season.
UNF tallied three home runs in the same game for the first time since defeating Kennesaw State May 27, 2021 in ASUN postseason play.
Eight of UNF's nine starting bats recorded at least one hit.