Kent State University
11-5
Liberty University
13-7
Bats Break Loose for Doubleheader Split
3/19/2016 8:14:00 PM | Baseball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Kent State (11-5) faced a tough opponent on the mound in the first game on Saturday at Liberty (13-7), losing 4-2, but answered back with a 8-1, seven-inning victory in the second game of the doubleheader.
Game One: Liberty 4, Kent State 2
The Flames scored one run in the first three innings to get out to an early lead in the opening game. Kent State replied with a two-run 6th. In the frame, Sam Hurt singled and Jacob Neuschaefer walked before Luke Burch singled and an error on the play allowed Hurt to score. Alex Miklos sacrificed both runners over a base to allow a run to come in on a groundout by Zalewski.
Liberty scored its final run in the bottom of the inning on a double, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly to make it a 4-2 game.
Andy Ravel suffered the loss, going 6.0 innings in the start with three earned runs, seven hits, one walk and six strikeouts. Zach Spangler followed with 1.2 innings of work with three hits, one walk and two strikeouts. Patrick Dayton finished the game.
The team was limited to four base hits in the contest as the Liberty starter threw a complete game with 11 strikeouts for the win.
Game Two: Kent State 8, Liberty 1 (7 innings)
With the rain moving in and the game pre-decided on being just seven innings long, Kent State wasted no time putting runs on the board as the bats awakened to split the doubleheader.
In the 1st inning, Mason Mamarella started the game with a walk before Luke Burch also walked to put two on. Dylan Rosa doubled to left field to make it a 2-0 game. Conner Simonetti then reached on an error to score Rosa before Brad Hamilton doubled down the left field line. Pete Schuler joined in with a double of his own to get two RBI and make it a 5-0 1st inning.
The Golden Flashes stayed hot in the 2nd when Zach Beckner singled up the middle, Burch walked and Zarley Zalewski doubled them both home.
The Flames threatened with bases loaded twice in the game but Eli Kraus was able to silence them. In the 3rd, Liberty got two infield singles and a bloop single to right to load the bases with no outs. Six pitches later Kraus was jogging back to the dugout after two popouts and a three-pitch strikeout.
Bases were loaded again for the home team in the 5th on a walk, single and error. However, Kraus induced an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam. Liberty got its sole run in the final frame on a single, double and sacrifice fly.
Kraus improved to 3-1 on the season after 5.1 shutout innings with five hits, two walks and four strikeouts, despite having to sit through a 29-minute rain delay. Eli Martin threw the final 1.2 innings with one run, two hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
At the plate, Rosa went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. The team's other seven hits were scattered throughout the order as nearly every starter picked up a hit in the game.
The teams will meet for the final time this weekend on Sunday at noon.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: COLE, V. (1-1)
L: Ravel, Andy (3-1)
Batting:
RBI: Zalewski, Zarley 1
SH: Miklos, Alex 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Neuschaefer, Jacob 1 ; Hurt, Sam 1
Batting:
2B: SHEPHERD, W. 1 ; YACYK, A. 1 ; KOWALO, A. 1
RBI: ARTIS, D.J. 1 ; YACYK, A. 1 ; BRITT, D. 1 ; GRABOWSKI, E 1
SH: SHEPHERD, W. 1 ; SCARBROUGH 1 ; GRABOWSKI, E 1
SF: YACYK, A. 1 ; GRABOWSKI, E 1
Base Running:
RUNS: ARTIS, D.J. 1 ; SHEPHERD, W. 1 ; KOWALO, A. 1 ; SCARBROUGH 1
SB: SHEPHERD, W. 1
