Kent State Outslugs Ashland 16-10
3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
KENT, Ohio With six runs in the third and a pair of three run innings in the seventh and eighth, Kent State defeated Ashland 16-10 in KSU's 2009 home opener. Kent State improves to 9-4 on the year while Ashland falls to 16-10.
"Offensively, I thought we swung the bats very well but was not happy at all with our pitching," said Head Coach Scott Stricklin after the game. "With the exception of Jon Pokorny, who pitched very well for us, I was not very happy with our pitching staff. We have to get better. Offensively, we swung the bats and we also didn't make any errors. If Ashland makes a couple of routine plays, it is a completely different baseball game."
Junior Anthony Gallas led Kent State with five singles in six at-bats. He also scored five runs and added an RBI. Sophomore Ben Klafczynski went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored. Senior Chris Tremblay contributed three hits in five at-bats with two RBI and two runs scored.
Redshirt sophomore Robert Sabo gave up one run on two hits in 1.1 innings for his first win of the year.
Kent State struck first on redshirt junior Cory Hindel's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second. Ashland would tie it up in the top of the third, but KSU answered with six runs of their own in the bottom of the third.
In the inning with one out, fifth-year senior Greg Rohan smashed his fifth home run of the year to center field to put the Golden Flashes up 2-1. Senior Jason Patton followed and reached on an error. The Golden Flashes then recorded four-straight singles that drove in three more runs to open up a 5-1 lead. A bases loaded walk by Tremblay and an RBI groundout by freshman Jimmy Rider gave KSU a 7-1 lead.
Ashland would tie the score with seven runs over the middle three innings, but Kent State would take the lead for good with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and Gallas on first, Tremblay blasted an RBI double to left field to put KSU up 7-6. Hindel would drive in Tremblay with an RBI single to right center to put the Golden Flashes up 10-8.
Kent State opened up a 16-8 lead with three runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth. Sophomore Brett Weibley added a sacrifice fly and Klafczynski hit a ball to deep left center for that drove in two runs in the seventh. In the eighth, Rohan tallied an RBI on a bases loaded infield fly, freshman Travis Shaw added a sacrifice fly and Gallas capped the KSU scoring with an RBI single.
Ashland made things interesting in the ninth with a pair of runs, but freshman Andrew Chafin closed the game with a bases loaded strikeout.
Kent State returns to action tomorrow when they take on Duquesne. Game time with the Dukes is set for 3 p.m. If you cannot attend the game, listen to the action for free through KentStateSports.com.
