Flashes Fall To Chippewas in Weekend?s Rubber Game
4/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
KENT, Ohio - The Golden Flashes jumped out to a 3-0 lead on junior Ben Klafczynski's second home run of the season, but the Chippewas answered with four runs in the top of the third and never trailed the rest of the game as Kent State (20-18, 7-5) fell to Central Michigan (20-13, 10-2) 7-6.
"We lost the series, and that is disappointing," said head coach Scott Stricklin. "I felt we didn't play our best baseball Friday and today. It's disappointing to lose the series at home."
Sophomore Kyle Hallock took the loss and falls to 3-3 on the year, giving up four runs on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Jake Sabol improved to 4-3 for CMU, while Trent Howard threw the final four innings for his second save of the series and the fifth of the year.
Kent State took a quick 3-0 lead in the second on Klafczynski's three run home run to right center. Gallas led off the inning with a single to short and advanced to second when sophomore David Lyon singled to left center. Klafczynski smashed the 1-1 pitch over the high fence in right center to give the Flashes the three-run lead.
Central Michigan wasted no time, scoring four in the top of the third to take the lead. Billy Anderson and Brendan Emmett led off the innings with walks, followed by Dale Cornstubble's single through the left side to plate CMU's first run. Still with no outs, Nate Theunissen singled to drive in the second run. Hallock then threw a pitch in the dirt, but Lyon popped up and threw out Cornstubble trying to advance to third.
With the big first out on the caught stealing and just a runner at first, it looked as if Hallock might get out of the inning with KSU clinging to a slim one-run lead. However, James Teas doubled to put runners at second and third with still only one down. Matt Faiman tied the game when he reached on a fielder's choice, but Teas was thrown out trying to advance to third. With two down, Scott Phillion singled up the middle to give the Chippewas the lead for good.
A costly error extended the Central Michigan lead to 6-3 in the top of the fifth. With sophomore reliever Ryan Mace in, Teas and Faiman singled to begin the inning and advanced to second and third on Phillion's groundout back to the mound. Ricky Clark followed with a groundball deep at short to sophomore Jimmy Rider. A run scored on the single, but Rider's errant throw to second allowed Faiman to score to give CMU a three-run lead.
Kent State struck back for two runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth to draw within one. After sophomore Kyle McMillen was hit by a pitch, Gallas roped a double down the left field line to score McMillen. Gallas then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when CMU catcher Cornstubble could not find the ball.
CMU answered with a key insurance run in the seventh. Teas singled to begin the inning and advanced to second on a groundout. KSU countered by bringing in McMillen. It looked as if the Chippewas might take a two-run lead with one out, but Phillion's little bloop to right center was caught by a diving Klafczynski. However, on the very next pitch, Clark singled up the middle to put CMU back up by two.
The Flashes were able to get that run back in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Klafczynski singled to left field, advanced to second on Howard's first balk of the year and scored on Campbell's little bloop single down the left field line.
Kent State had its chance in the bottom of the ninth inning, but CMU's Howard slammed the door shut. With two outs and Gallas down in the count 0-2, he singled through the right side to keep the inning going. Sophomore Travis Shaw faced a full count, but singled through the right side to put runners on the corners. Lyon followed with a fly ball to center to end the game.
Kent State returns to action Tuesday (April 20) when it travels to Pittsburgh to take on the nationally ranked Panthers. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
