GREENSBORO, NC UNC Greensboro dropped its season opener, 18-2, to No. 18 Kent State on Friday evening at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.
Freshman Kris Richards had the best day for the Spartans (0-1), going 2-3 with a walk. Returning first-team All-MAC pitcher, Kyle Smith, recorded the win for the Golden Flashes (1-0) after pitching five innings and only allowing one run on two hits. Kyle Hallock pitched four innings to pick up the save. Junior Rob Gilliam took the loss after allowing seven runs in two-plus innings of work.
Greg Rohan went 3-5 with two runs and two RBI to lead Kent State. Jared Bartholomew added a two-run homer in the third inning to help pace the Golden Flashes.
After a scoreless first inning, Kent State put up five runs in the second inning. It appeared Gilliam was going to get out of the inning after striking out two of the first three batters, but after a pair of walks loaded the bases. Chris Tremblay then came up and hit a bases clearing double to left center to put Kent State ahead 3-0. An Anthony Gallas RBI single and Greg Rohan's RBI single made it 5-0 in favor of the visitors.
In the third inning, Brad Winter walked to lead off the inning before Bartholomew's home run down the right field line made it a 7-0 Kent State advantage. That home run spelled the end to Rob Gilliam, who was relieved by Warren Slack.
The Spartans answered in the bottom of the third for their first run of the evening. Pedro Leon was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Ed Jayjack followed with a walk of his own. After Ray Quinones fielder's choice put runners on the corners, Michael Wall hit into his own fielder's choice, which scored Leon from third.
Kent State came right back in the top of the fourth by adding three more runs. Jimmy Rider led off the inning with a walk before Anthony Gallas lined out to left field. Greg Rohan singled to move Rider over to second before Ben Klafczynski hit a towering double to left center to score two runs. Klafczynski later scored on a Bartholomew fielder's choice.
UNCG put another run across the plate in the sixth inning with a two out rally. Joey Frabasile hit a pinch hit double down the right field line and scored after a throwing error by Hallock on an infield single.
After putting up two more runs in the seventh inning to make it 12-2, Kent State put five runs across in the eighth. With one out in the inning, the Golden Flashes strung together two singles and a double to plate two more runners. An Anthony Gallas sacrifice fly scored Chris Tremblay from third to make it 15-2. The visitors were able to push two more across the plate after a pair of Spartan errors in the inning.
The Spartans return to action Saturday at 1 p.m. in the second game of the series between the two squads.
AGATE
No. 18 Kent State 18, UNC Greensboro 2
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Kent State...............052 300 251 - 18 15 2 (1-0)
UNC Greensboro......001 001 000 - 2 6 4 (0-1)
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Pitchers: UNC Greensboro Rob Gilliam, Warren Slack, Zach Furl, Ian Phillips. Kent State Kyle Smith, Kyle Hallock.
Win-Kyle Smith (1-0) Save-Kyle Hallock (1) Loss-Rob Gilliam (0-1) T-3:26 A-325
HR Kent State Jared Bartholomew (1).
- UNCG -
