Golden Flashes Drop Opener With Bulls 9-3

Friday, May 1

Buffalo, NY

3:00 PM

Kent State University

24-19, 0

University at Buffalo

13-26, 0

Kent State

Buffalo

Photo by: David Dermer

5/1/2015 6:53:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (pdf)

AMHERST, N.Y. – Kent State (24-19, 11-8) missed opportunities to score runs early on in Friday's game, eventually falling 9-3 in the series-opener at Buffalo (13-26, 6-13).

The Golden Flashes had bases loaded with one out in the 1^st, a leadoff runner on third in the 3^rd and bases loaded again with no outs in the 5^th but only could bring one run in during that stretch. In the 5^th, Luca Fuscardo reached on an error, stole second and advanced on a Jeff Revesz bunt single before coming home to score the team's first run on a balk.

The Bulls scored on a walk and series of base hits in the first inning. They then scored six in the 5^th and two in the 8^th to bring their total to nine on the day.

Kent State scored twice in the 9^th but could come no closer to Buffalo's lead. The inning started with a double by Sawyer Polen and a fielding error that allowed Brad Hamilton to reach. Zarley Zalewski followed with a double to left to score Polen. Hamilton came home on a sacrifice fly by Tommy Monnot.

Nick Jensen-Clagg suffered the loss in 4.1 innings with 11 hits, seven runs, two walks and eight strikeouts. Zach Spangler followed with 1.1. innings of relief without allowing a hit or walk and striking out one. John Birkbeck also threw 1.1 innings of hitless baseball with two strikeouts. Aaron Tadian allowed two runs on one hit and one walk in 0.2 innings. Patrick Dayton got the final out in his Kent State debut via a strikeout after allowing a walk and single.

Zalewski was the only Kent State starter with two hits in the game. Zach Beckner went 2-for-2 after entering the game in the 6^th inning.

The series will resume on Saturday with a 1 p.m. game.