Kent State Baseball Stymies UAB For Second Straight Win
3/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CONWAY, S.C. -- The Kent State baseball team took advantage of good starting pitching and made UAB pay for its defensive mistakes to earn a 7-1 victory Saturday (March 12) in the Caravelle Resort Classic at Watson Stadium/Vrooman Field. The win runs Kent State's streak to two straight.
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Junior shortstop Jimmy Rider (Venetia, Pa.) extended his hitting streak to 12 games, leading the Golden Flashes (7-5) with a 2-for-4 performance with one RBI and two runs scored. Freshman designated hitter T.J. Sutton (Uniontown, Ohio) collected two hits, an RBI and a run scored while redshirt junior left fielder Joe Koch (Youngstown, Ohio) added two singles. Junior third baseman Travis Shaw (Washington Court House, Ohio) doubled and drove in three runs and scored another.
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"We got contributions from a lot of guys," said seventh-year head coach Scott Stricklin. "The bottom of the order did a great job getting on base for us. All around, it was a solid offensive day."
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The offensive production supported a strong pitching performance by senior left-handed starting pitcher Kyle Hallock (Sandusy, Ohio), who matched his career high of eight strikeouts. The lone run he was charged with was unearned and he scattered seven hits with just one walk over seven innings. Hallock improved his record to 2-2 on the season. Junior righty Ryan Mace (Tallmadge, Ohio) worked the final two frames, striking out one and surrendering two hits.
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"He (Hallock) pitched well from behind in the count," said Stricklin. He's really solid with offspeed pitches, he's got a plus-changeup, and everything was working for him tonight."
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The Flashes took advantage of a miscue by the Blazers () in the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie. Sutton cracked a one-out single to right field and scored one out later on a throwing error by UAB following a single to third by Koch.
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Kent State broke open the contest with a four-run fifth. Sophomore center fielder Evan Campbell (Beloit, Ohio) got things started by reaching on a throwing error. Rider and senior right fielder Ben Klafczynski (Granger Township, Ohio) coaxed back-to-back walks to fill the bases with Flashes. That set the stage for Shaw's bases clearing double to left center to make it 4-0.
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"Those two guys (Klafczynski and Shaw) are our best hitters, and it was great to see Travis come through in the clutch for us," said Stricklin.
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UAB got a run back in the bottom of the frame, but the Flashes added insurance runs in the top of the sixth and ninth innings. Freshman second baseman Derek Toadvine (Springfield Township, Ohio) smacked a one-out double down the left field line and scored one out later when Rider did the same in the sixth. Kent State's final run came in the ninth when Rider stroked a leadoff base hit to right center, advanced on a Klafcynski single and a Shaw walk and tagged up and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by junior catcher David Lyon (Emporium, Pa.).
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UAB junior right-handed starter Dillon Napoleon took the pitching defeat, allowing six runs – three of them earned- on eight hits in six innings of work. He struck out five and walked four. Junior third baseman Patrick Palmeiro led the Blazers with a double and a single while freshman Ivan De Jesus collected two base hits.
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Kent State shoots for its third victory in as many days Sunday (March 12) against Notre Dame to wrap up the Caravelle Resort Classic. Junior southpaw David Starn (Hudson, Ohio) gets the ball for the Flashes.
