The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Kent State
Zips Fall to Kent State in Front of Record Crowd at the Diamond Classic for the Kids
May 17 | Baseball
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron baseball team dropped the sixth annual Diamond Classic for the Kids to rival Kent State on Thursday night at Canal Park, 6-1.
The game was also contested as part of the inaugural PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge – an all-sports competition between the two Northeast Ohio rivals.
UA senior starter Andrew Brown (6-8) was handed the loss after going 5.2 innings and allowing three runs on five hits. Only one of Brown's runs was earned. Sophomores Darius Washington and Tyler Begun both ripped doubles for Akron (17-36, 10-15 Mid-American Conference).
George Roberts led the Golden Flashes (35-17, 22-3) with a pair of hits and three RBI. Starter David Starn (8-3) tossed six innings and allowed one run to take the win on the mound.
The Zips took the early lead in the bottom of the third when Starn walked Matt Rembielak with the bases loaded. Washington doubled to right center to lead off the inning and moved to third on a single by Jared Turocy. A walk by Begun then loaded the bases. Akron failed to break open a big inning when Sam Watkins's fly ball to left was too shallow to bring in Turocy and Brady Stewart was called out on strikes.
A two-out error by Rembielak at short led to a pair of unearned runs for the Golden Flashes in the bottom of the third. Roberts followed the blunder with a double down the right field line, driving in Evan Campbell and David Lyon.
Jimmy Rider's two-out single down left field line drove in Alex Miklos in the sixth. Miklos had singled with one out in the inning. TJ Sutton then drove in Nick Hamilton with a single in the seventh. Hamilton had singled and moved up two bases on a Scott Foster wild pitch.
Kent State would add a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth. Rider drove in Derek Toadvine with a fielder's choice and then scored on a Roberts single up the middle.
The series continues tomorrow at Schoonover Stadium in Kent. First pitch is at 3 p.m. with Akron sending rookie Pat Dyer (3-4, 4.13) to the mound. Kent State is scheduled to start righty Ryan Bores (6-2, 3.32)
Zips Notebook: The game attendance was 1,310, a Diamond Classic for the Kids record ... All proceeds from the game directly benefited the Akron Children's Hospital ... Akron's loss teamed with Buffalo's win over Bowling Green keeps UA's MAC Tournament magic number at two.
