Dancing In The Dark
5/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio Baseball can be a funny game. No on was laughing after the performance by Kent State sophomore southpaw Kyle Hallock.
Hallock made his longest outing of his Kent State career, allowing two runs (one earned) and seven hits on only 96 pitches as Kent State improved to 40-15 with a 17-2 win over Central Michigan (28-29).
"I thought was that the best outing of his Kent State career," said Head Coach Scott Stricklin. "We really needed that. When you get into a tournament like this you have to preserve the bullpen. He was outstanding."
"I felt really good coming in," added Hallock. "I wanted to follow up what Brad Stillings did yesterday and I think I did that. My defense did a very good job behind me and Cory Hindel called a great game."
Freshman Jimmy Rider went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Junior Anthony Gallas had two hits in five at-bats with five RBI and two runs scored. With no hits in his first seven at-bats of the tournament, Gallas blasted a home run to deep centerfield for his 10th bomb of the year in the eighth.
Senior Chris Tremblay went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and one RBI. He also had a leadoff home run, his second of the season.
After Tremblay led off with a home run, Central Michigan tied the score with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame. Andrew Thomas singled to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a groundout, stole third and scored on a double by Scott Phillion.
Kent State struck for six in the top of the third with two-out lightning. With one out, Rider singled, Tremblay doubled and Gallas walked to load the bases. Senior Greg Rohan fouled out for the second out, but the Golden Flashes made CMU starter Rick Dodridge pay. Senior Jason Patton lined a pitch just off the first baseman's glove that scored a pair of runs. Redshirt junior Jared Humphreys and senior Ryan Mitchell added an RBI single to make the score 5-1.
Four runs were not enough for the Flashes in the frame. Now in to the Chippewa bullpen, freshman pinch-hitter Travis Shaw walked to reload the bases for redshirt junior Cory Hindel. Hindel, only batting .242, has had his fair share of hits this year. This time, he may have broke the back of Central Michigan with a two RBI single to right center to make the score 7-1.
With the KSU offense hitting a rough spot in the middle innings, the defense showed why it is the best in the MAC. With one out, William Arnold and Robbie Harman singled to put a pair on for CMU. A fielders choice and a throwing error on third baseman Shaw allowed the Chippewas to score a run, but Rohan threw to Hindel to gun down the possible third run home at the plate.
Kent State put the finishing touches with three runs in the eighth and six more in the ninth. Tremblay led off the inning with a single, advanced to third on two wild pitches and scored on Rider's RBI single. With one on, Gallas corked a pitch to deep left center to open up a Kent State 11-2 lead. The Golden Flashes scored six more runs on four hits in the ninth for the final margin.
"We had some chances early to expand the lead and scored late to put it out of reach. We had some big hits. It was important to see Anthony Gallas get going, he needs to be a threat in that three hole," added Stricklin.
With the win, Kent State advances to the MAC tournament semifinals and will play the winner of Miami-Central Michigan at 4 p.m. tomorrow.
