Six-Run 9th Not Quite Enough in Season Opening Loss to No.8 Virginia

Friday, February 19

Myrtle Beach, SC

4:00 PM

Kent State University

0-1

University of Virginia

1-0

Kent State

Virginia

Photo by: David Dermer

Six-Run 9th Not Quite Enough in Season Opening Loss to No.8 Virginia

2/19/2016 8:23:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Kent State (0-1) had a huge 9^th inning, scoring six runs in the frame, but could not comeback far enough to beat No. 8 Virginia (1-0), the reigning College World Series Champion, in a 8-6 final to start the 2016 season.

To start the game, the Cavaliers loaded the bases in the 1st on a hit, error and walk, but starter Eric Lauer got his first strikeout of the day to end the threat.

Dylan Rosa slapped a base hit to right for the team's first hit of the season in the third inning. Tim DalPorto followed with another hit up the middle and advanced his way around to third but was stranded to keep the game scoreless through three.

Virginia broke the 0-0 tie in the bottom of the 4^th when they loaded the bases again, this time on a single, hit batter and walk. With two outs and bases loaded, a wild pitch scored the first run of the game and a single up the middle brought in two more.

Lauer answered right back by striking out the side in the 5^th.

Tim Faix came on in relief in the 6^th, struck out his first batter and retired the next two on groundouts. During the next inning, Virginia made it a 4-0 game on a bunt and base hit. Eli Martin entered the game soon after and got two quick outs on six pitches, including a strikeout.

Virginia made it a 5-0 advantage when they hit the first pitch in the bottom of the 8^th out of the park. They tagged on two more runs later in the inning after some base hits, a passed ball and another base hit. A sacrifice fly then gave the Cavaliers a four-run frame.

Kent State would not go quietly in the 9^th. Down to three outs, Josh Hollander singled to start the inning in his first career at bat. Mason Mamarella followed with a double before Luke Burch delivered the blow – a two-RBI single up the middle.

With two outs and two runners on, Dom Iero kept things alive by hitting a single to score one and make it 8-3.

With bases loaded and two outs, freshman Pete Schuler was faced with a big situation in his first career plate appearance. He stepped up with a bases-clearing double to make it a 8-6 game.

Lauer went five innings in the start with three runs, four hits, five strikeouts and five walks. Faix threw 1.1 frames with two hits, one run and one strikeout. Martin went 0.2 innings while Patrick Dayton finished out the game.

At the plate, Rosa was the only Flash with a two-hit day. Schuler and Mamarella had the team's lone extra-base hits.

The Golden Flashes are back in action on Saturday in a noon contest against Old Dominion.