Flashes Fall in Rubber Match at Central Michigan
4/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Mount Pleasant, Mich. - Five Kent State errors led to an uphill battle for the Golden Flashes in a 9-2 loss to Central Michigan Sunday afternoon (Apr. 1) at Theunissen Fied. The Chippewas (15-11) improved to 5-1 in MAC play behind a strong pitching performance from starter Kurt Lauscher.
In the first inning, KSU picked up where it left off Saturday at the plate. Doug Sanders and Andrew Davis each singled and Brad Winter doubled to left field, driving in the second run of the inning. The Flashes held a 2-0 lead until the third inning.
A walk, a hit-by-pitch two errors and a balk combined with two Chippewa singles led to four runs for Central Michigan in the third. Starter J.J. Pacella was replaced by Robert Sabo during the frame.
CMU tacked on two more runs in the fourth, extending its lead to 6-2. Meanwhile, Lauscher kept the KSU bats quiet, limiting the Flashes to just two hits after the first inning.
Jason Seelman tossed 2.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit, but the Chippewas struck again after his exit in the seventh. Three Kent State fielding errors in the seventh led to three unearned runs and put the game out of reach.
Seelman, who struck out three, has allowed just one run in 13.1 innings on the season.
Lauscher allowed five hits over eight innings and fanned two. A 45-minute rain delay followed the conclusion of the eighth inning. After the break, Chris Kupillas took the mound for the Chippewas and retired three straight batters to end the game.
Jon Pokorny pitched a scoreless eighth for the Flashes and has not allowed an earned run in his last eight appearances. Sunday was the first time in over 29 innings a member of the KSU bullpen allowed an earned run. The Flashes remain in sole possession of second place in the MAC East.
Central Michigan right fielder Tyler Stovall was the only player in the game with more than one hit, going 4-for-5 with four RBI. The Chippewas totaled eight singles, but Winter had the game's only extra-base hit.
The Golden Flashes (11-15, 3-3 MAC) hit the road again Tuesday (Apr. 3), taking on Cleveland State for the second time this season. It will be the Vikings' inaugural game at Pipe Yard Stadiuim in Lorain with a 5 p.m. first pitch.
