TAMPA, Fla. A four-run seventh inning by the Kent State University baseball team broke open a 2-2 tie and helped the Golden Flashes to their third straight win, 7-2, over USF on Tuesday night (Mar. 23) at Red McEwen Field in Tampa.
Senior OF Chuck Moore (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) started the big inning with a pinch hit RBI-double that gave Kent State (11-7) the lead. Senior 1B Andy Hargrove (Richfield, Ohio/St. Ignatius/Oral Roberts) followed with a two-run single as the Golden Flashes batted around in the frame.
Kent State plated a run in the first and a run in the third to take a 2-0 lead. Junior CF Joe Tucker (Canton, Ohio/Canton Central Catholic) scored both runs on singles by juniors Drew Saylor (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth/Cincinnati) and Kurt Eichorn (Galion, Ohio/Lexington).
Junior RHP Jon Miller (Louisville, Ky./Ballard/Illinois) held the Bulls scoreless through the first five innings. USF tied the game in the sixth on a two-run single by Jeff Baisley off of reliever Evan Smith (Milford, Ohio/Milford).
Making his first start of the year, Miller did not allow a run in five innings of work, scattering three hits. He walked one and struck out two but did not factor in the decision.
Smith (1-2) picked up the win, his first of the season, despite allowing the tying runs in the sixth. He followed with a scoreless seventh before giving way to Jason Seelman (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) who finished the night with a pair of scoreless frames.
Sophomore SS Manny Burriss (Washington, D.C./Wilson) had an RBI single in the seventh, one of his two hits on the night.
Tucker had three hits, scored twice and stole two bases to lead the KSU attack. Eichorn and Will Vazquez (Berea, Ohio/Berea) also had three hits apiece while Saylor and Todd Balduf (Dublin, Ohio/Scioto) each had two hits. As a team, Kent State banged out a season-high 18 hits.
USF starter Blake Tillett lasted just three innings, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks. He was followed by Chase Lirette (1-3), who shut down the Flashes through his first three innings of work until allowing all four runs in the seventh.
Vazquez capped off the scoring with an RBI single in the eighth after a Balduf triple.
The Flashes wrap-up their spring trip on Wednesday morning (Mar. 23) against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 10:30 a.m. at the IMG Baseball Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
GAME NOTES: Saylor extended his hitting streak to 10 games, the longest streak by a Golden Flash this seasonâ?¦ both Balduf and Eichorn tripled in the game. It was Baldufs first career tripleâ?¦ 15 of KSUs 18 hits were singlesâ?¦ Andrew Davis (Chillicothe, Ohio/Zanes Trace) had his hitting streak stopped at nine games.
-KSU-
