Rain-Shortened Game Results in 9-8 Loss

Wednesday, April 5

Columbus, OH

5:35 PM

Kent State University

17-10

Ohio State University

12-16

Kent State

Ohio State

Photo by: David Dermer

4/5/2017 8:52:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the second straight visit to Columbus, Mother Nature had plans other than a baseball game. Wednesday night's contest ended with Ohio State (12-16) ahead 9-8 with two outs in the bottom of the 7^th as the game was called early due to rain.

Kent State (17-10) started with a big 7-0 lead but saw it relinquished due in part to free bases given up and its own bats quieting down.

Luke Burch led off the game with a double that hit off the left field wall and Mason Mamarella followed with a perfectly placed bunt for a single. Dom Iero than belted a double to right center to send both home. With two outs, Reilly Hawkins got a hit on the first pitch he saw to make it a 3-0 game in the 1^st.

Robert Zeigler kept the positive momentum going as he stepped on to the mound. He allowed the first two Ohio State batters to reach on a walk and single despite starting them with 0-2 counts, but then he earned two strikeouts and a ground out to send the game to the 2^nd.

In the 2^nd, the bats did not let up. Josh Hollander, John Matthews and Burch all singled to score another run. After a sacrifice bunt by Mamarella moved both runners into scoring position, they came home on a two-RBI base hit by Iero.

The Buckeyes were able to break through in the 3^rd with three runs on a double, two walks and another double but the Flashes answered with another run to start the 4^th as Tim DalPorto singled, Dylan Rosa doubled, and DalPorto scored on a ground out by Hawkins to put the lead at 8-3.

However, the bottom of that frame would see the game become tied at eight. A walk started the inning before two quick outs occurred. But, three more walks and a grand slam would damage Kent State's lead. The would-be game-winning run came in for the Buckeyes when a runner on first got caught in a rundown and a runner at third scampered home in the meantime for the go-ahead run.

With two outs in the bottom of the 7^th, lightning was spotted as a thunderstorm entered the area and resulted in the game being called as the rain picked up.

The Flashes had 13 hits in the game with nine of those coming from the top four in the batting order. Mamarella had a perfect day at the plate by going 3-for-3 and adding in a sacrifice, run and RBI. Burch, Iero, DalPorto and Matthews all had two hits while Iero lead the team with four RBI.

Kent State has a bye weekend with no games before returning to action next Tuesday, April 11 in a non-conference game at Bowling Green. That game is set to begin at 3:05 p.m.