Kent State University
0-1
Coastal Carolina University
1-0
Rally Falls Short in Season Opener
2/18/2022 8:47:00 PM | Baseball
CONWAY, SC- Aidan Longwell and Justin Miknis each had three-hit games but a big third inning by the Chanticleers was too much to overcome in a 13-8 opening day setback.
Kent State struck first, scoring in each of the first two innings. It was the Miknis and Longwell connection in the first inning with Miknis knocking in the sophomore. After Ben Cruikshank escaped a jam in the first, the Flashes plated two more in the second on a pair of run-scoring groundouts.
Coastal Carolina responded with nine unanswered including eight in a third inning that chased Cruikshank as Kent State turned to three different pitchers to get out of the inning.
Richie Dell and Evan Wolf provided solid long relief on Friday to keep the Chanticleers off the scoreboard and allow the bats to go back to work.
The Flashes struck for two in the fifth and three more in the sixth. Again, it was Miknis delivering in the fifth with a single and Longwell did the same in the sixth. Kent State also took advantage of two wild pitches and one of four Coastal errors to make it 10-8. The Flashes would threaten in the seventh and the eighth, putting runners in scoring position in both innings, but could not dent the plate.
It will be a quick turnaround for the Flashes who are back at it on Saturday morning against West Virginia. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Joyce, Matt (1-0)
L: Cruikshank, Ben (0-1)
S: Billings, Jack (1)
Batting:
2B: Miknis, Justin 1
RBI: Jackson, Kyle 1 ; Longwell, Aidan 1 ; Miknis, Justin 2 ; Johnson, Josh 1
SH: Jackson, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson, Kyle 1 ; Mathews, Collin 2 ; Longwell, Aidan 2 ; McNamara, Michael 1 ; Pennington, Payton 1 ; Johnson, Josh 1
HBP: Mathews, Collin 1 ; Timbrook, Mack 1
PO: Jackson, Kyle 1 ; Longwell, Aidan 1
Batting:
2B: White, Austin 1 ; Johnson, Tyler 2 ; Thomas, Dale 2
HR: Gitter, Jake 1
RBI: White, Austin 2 ; Rowan, Jr., Chris 1 ; Guangorena, Kameron 1 ; Johnson, Tyler 2 ; Thomas, Dale 4 ; Gitter, Jake 1
SF: Guangorena, Kameron 1
Base Running:
RUNS: White, Austin 1 ; Brown, Eric 1 ; Lucky, Nick 1 ; Rowan, Jr., Chris 2 ; Guangorena, Kameron 2 ; Johnson, Tyler 2 ; Brown, Graham 1 ; Thomas, Dale 1 ; Gitter, Jake 1 ; McDermott, Matt 1
SB: White, Austin 2 ; McDermott, Matt 1
HBP: Brown, Eric 1 ; Lucky, Nick 1
