Kent State Baseball Settles For Weekend Split At New Mexico State After Doubleheader Losses
3/11/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Golden Flashes (7-6) hit the West Coast next weekend (March 16-18) to battle Pepperdine.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Kent State baseball team was forced to settle for a weekend series split at New Mexico State after a pair of doubleheader losses Sunday (March 11) in non-conference action at Presley Askew Field.
The Golden Flashes (7-6) dropped the first game to Aggies (11-8), 12-6, and fell 12-4 in eight innings in the second contest to finish the weekend with a 2-2 mark. Kent State won the series opener, 7-4, Friday (March 9) and earned a 10-9 triumph Saturday (March 10) in the second game of the series.
"It's disappointing to be winning the series 2-0 and then lose the next two games the way we did," said eighth-year head coach Scott Stricklin. "It's unacceptable to have that happen. New Mexico State just outcompeted us."
Kent State took a 2-0 lead in the second inning of the first contest. Redshirt junior third baseman Nick Hamilton (Avon Lake, Ohio) and sophomore right fielder T.J. Sutton (Uniontown, Ohio) led off with back-to-back singles, and junior designated hitter Jason Bagoly (Austintown, Ohio) drove them both home with a double to left.
Unfortunately for Kent State, New Mexico State knotted the score with two runs in the third, then scored four in the fifth and five more in the seventh to break the contest open.
Junior first baseman George Roberts (Summerhill, Pa.) led Kent State at the plate with a double and two singles. Hamilton finished with a double and a single.
Sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Tyler Skulina (Strongsville, Ohio) suffered his first mound loss of the 2012 season and fell to 2-1 on the year. He struck out five in 4.1 innings.
The Aggies scored 11 runs over the first four frames to help power themselves to the victory in the second contest.
Junior right-handed starter Ryan Mace (Tallmadge, Ohio) was saddled with the pitching defeat for Kent State.
Hamilton led the Flashes with a double and two singles while senior shortstop Jimmy Rider (Venetia, Pa.) and freshman left fielder Alex Miklos (Grove City, Pa.) each tallied a double and a single.
Kent State hits the West Coast next weekend (March 16-18) to battle Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif.
