Baseball Upended by UNC-Wilmington, 9-5
3/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
WILMINGTON, N.C.The Kent State University baseball team (5-10) struck hard in the second, scoring five runs, but it wouldnt hold up as the Golden Flashes fell 9-5 to UNC-Wilmington (10-8) today (March 19) at Brooks Field. Sophomore Joe Tucker (Canton, Ohio/Central Catholic) hit a three-run home run, his first of the season, in the losing effort.
All of the Golden Flashes runs came in the second inning. An Adam Crowder (Mantua, Ohio/Eastern Kentucky) double down the left-field line broke the scoreless tie, bringing home freshman Marshall Woods (Appomatox, Va./Appomatox County) who reached on a walk. Ben Whitney (Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary) then scored on a fielders choice, setting up first-and-third. An out later, Tuckers first home run of the season elevated the KSU lead to 5-0. Tucker was 1-of-3 on the day with a run scored and three RBI.
Seahawk starter Ronald Hill settled in after the rough second, shutting the Flashes down the rest of the way. Hills effort allowed UNCW to chip away at the lead, breaking into the scoring column in the third, scoring one on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Brad Denson. A Jonathan Batts solo home run in the fourth and a run scored in the fifth by Jon Davis on a groundout brought the tally to 5-3.
The Seahawks perserverence finally paid off in the form of a three-run seventh. Matt Poulk led off the inning with a home run and one out later Chris Hatcher went yard to knot the game at 5-5. Chip Grawey followed Hatcher with a triple, later scoring on a Denson single to put UNCW ahead 6-5.
After a scoreless KSU eighth, UNCW put it out of reach with a three-run blast off the bat of Pat Murphy, the catchers first at bat after replacing Hatcher.
The ball was carrying well today, with the wind blowing straight out to left, KSU head coach Rick Rembielack said. We didnt utilize the conditions, but they did with their three home runs.
KSU starter Andy Sonnanstine (3-2) (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) went 6-1/3 innings in the loss, allowing six runs--four earned--and striking out five. Hill (4-2) went seven innings to earn the victory, allowing just five runs.
Tucker, Crowder, Woods, Whitney, Rembielak, Sonnanstine and the rest of the Golden Flashes will be back in action tomorrow, at 2 p.m. at UNC-Wilmington.
KSU Baseball Notes:Emmannuel Burriss (Washington, D.C./Wilson) stole his team-best sixth base ... Reliever Phil Bojc (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) has a 8-1/3 inning scoreless streak ... First baseman Chad Kinyon (Lima, Ohio/Bath) has an eight-game hit streak.
