Kent State Baseball Tripped Up At Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Kent State baseball team was dealt an 11-2 defeat by Louisville Tuesday (March 22) at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The Golden Flashes (9-9, 0-0) allowed a season-high 11 runs on 15 hits while manufacturing only two runs on seven hits and failing to take advantage of two Louisville errors. Kent State sophomore center fielder Evan Campbell (Beloit, Ohio) accounted for three of Kent State's base hits to lead the Flashes at the plate. The Cardinals (13-7, 0-0) swept the season series over Kent State, 4-0, with the win.

"They took advantage of some pitches up in the strike zone, took advantage of some mistakes and proved that they were the better team today," said seventh-year head coach Scott Stricklin.  

A first inning home run gave the host Cardinals a 1-0 advantage, but Kent State squared the contest up in the top of the third when redshirt junior left fielder Joe Koch (Youngstown, Ohio) coaxed a one-out walk and later scored when junior shortstop Jimmy Rider (Venetia, Pa.) reached on an error.

It was all Cardinals from there, though, as Louisville plated six runs on seven hits over the third and fourth frames, then tacked on two more scores in the sixth.

Kent State got a run back in the top of the eighth as Campbell smacked a leadoff single to center and later scored on a bases-loaded groundout to first by junior third baseman Travis Shaw (Washington Court House, Ohio).

Louisville made it a nine-run game again by plating two in the bottom half of the frame, then closed the game out by forcing the Flashes into a game ending double play.

Kent State redshirt senior right-handed starting pitcher Brennen Glass (Springfield, Ohio) was tagged with the first loss of his two-year Kent State career, falling to 5-1. He now stands at 1-1 on the season after surrendering five earned runs on seven hits and two walks in three innings of duty.

The Golden Flashes have the opportunity to get back in the win column quickly, making the drive north to Cincinnati to face Xavier on Wednesday (March 23). Junior righty Ryan Mace (Tallmadge, Ohio) will take the mound to open the contest for Kent State. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.