Sutton's Inside-the-Park Homerun Propels Flashes Past Bobcats
4/5/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
KENT, Ohio – T.J. Sutton scorched an inside-the-park homerun in the eighth to push Kent State (13-14, 5-2) past Ohio (5-23, 2-5) in a 6-5 opening series win.
Down 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth, George Roberts issued a leadoff walk before Sutton smacked a shot to center that went past the defenseman and rolled to the wall to score two for the deciding play of the game.
Brian Clark then came in the game and got a strikeout, a sharp lineout to first baseman Zarley Zalewski and then a popup to shortstop to secure the win and earn Clark's second save of the season.
Kent State took a 1-0 lead out of the first inning when Derek Toadvine led off the game with a base hit and came around to score on a groundout by Roberts. Ohio tied things in the third inning, but Kent State grabbed a 3-1 lead right back.
In the bottom of the third, the Golden Flashes scored two runs on a two-RBI single by Roberts, scoring Zalewski and Toadvine, who had back-to-back singles to start off the inning.
The Bobcats answered with a big four-run inning in the fifth. They took advantage of five hits and a Kent State error to take the 5-3 lead. Kent State began their comeback by scoring one in the seventh on a single and RBI groundout before the decisive bottom of the eighth.
Josh Pierce (2-1) was awarded the win, coming in the game in relief to pitch two innings of shutout baseball with no hits, no walks and one strikeout. Taylor Williams went six innings in the start, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out seven.
Toadvine, Zalewski and Tommy Monnot each finished with two hits in the game. Roberts led the team with three RBI.
Game two begins Saturday at 1:00 pm. It is Military Day, as part of Kent State's PR and Promotions class. Click here for more details.
