Kent State Baseball’s Offense Fires On All Cylinders In Midweek Win Over Youngstown State
Golden Flashes pound out 14 runs on 17 hits – including eight doubles - as 11 players post at least one base knock in 10-run victory.
KENT, Ohio – The Kent State baseball team pounded out 17 hits – including eight doubles - and 11 players posted at least one base knock in a 14-4 non-conference victory over Youngstown State Wednesday (April 11) at Olga A. Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium.
The Golden Flashes (19-13) have won 11 of their last 14 games – including five straight victories.
Senior shortstop Jimmy Rider (Venetia, Pa.) led the hit parade with a double and two singles for his 14th multi-hit game of 2012. Freshman center fielder Alex Miklos (Grove City, Pa.) smacked two doubles while freshman catcher Tommy Monnot (Canton, Ohio), and freshman second baseman Sawyer Polen (Wooster, Ohio) each tallied a double and a single. Junior designated hitter Jason Bagoly (Austintown, Ohio) collected two base hits.
Kent State jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning. Rider got it started with a one-out single back up the middle, moved to third on a base hit through the right side by Monnot and scored on a fielder's choice that put junior first baseman George Roberts (Summerhill, Pa.) on. Roberts scored on a double to left by redshirt junior third baseman Nick Hamilton (Avon Lake, Ohio).
Youngstown State (4-27) countered with two runs in the bottom of the second to tie the contest up, but the Flashes broke the game open by scoring six more in the bottom of the third. Rider led off with a double down the left field line and scored when Monnot followed by doing the same to put Kent State back in front, 3-2. Hamilton reached on a fielder's choice that moved Monnot up to third. Bagoly singled through the left side to bring home Monnot. Hamilton made it 5-2 when he scored on a base hit to right center by sophomore right fielder T.J. Sutton (Uniontown, Ohio). Bagoly scored on a fielding error that put Polen on, then Sutton scored on an RBI ground out by fifth-year senior left fielder Joe Koch (Austintown, Ohio). Junior center fielder Evan Campbell (Beloit, Ohio) made it an 8-2 ballgame when he doubled down the left field to plate Polen.
The Penguins got a run back in the top of the fifth, but the Golden Flashes made it a six-run affair again in the home half when Polen led off with a single up the middle and scored one out later on a double to left by Miklos.
Kent State upped its lead to 10-3 in the seventh when redshirt sophomore right fielder Troy Summers (Minerva, Ohio) smacked a leadoff base hit back up the middle, stole second, advanced 90 feet to third on a ground out by Polen and scored when Miklos served up a sacrifice fly to center.
After Youngstown State plated its fourth run in the top half of the eighth, the Flashes added four more scores to their total in the bottom of the frame. Freshman catcher Jeff Revesz (Grove City, Pa.) hit a leadoff single to center. Redshirt freshman designated hitter Blake Bellman (Wooster, Ohio) drew a walk one out later. Revesz and Bellman both advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch, then Summers lifted a sacrifice fly to center to allow Revesz to tag up and score. Polen drove home Bellman with a double to left center. Koch plated Polen with a double to center, and Miklos made it three straight RBI doubles and a 14-4 game home when he cracked one of his own to center to bring in Koch.
Freshman left-handed starting pitcher Tim Faix (Strongsville, Ohio) made his first career started and earned the mound victory, working the first three frames. Sophomore righty Dan Slavik (St. Clairsville, Ohio) struck out three over the next two innings. Redshirt freshman right hander Dan Kopcak (Streetsboro, Ohio) and freshman southpaw Brian Clark (Munroe Falls, Ohio) each tossed a scores frame. Junior righty Casey Wilson (Sagamore Hills, Ohio) threw a perfect top of the ninth.
Kent State looks to remain perfect in conference play as it travels to Bowling Green this weekend (April 13-15) for a three-game set against its MAC East Division rival.
