The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Kent State
Baseball Handed 15-2 Loss at Kent State
May 18 | Baseball
KENT, Ohio – Kent State scored nine runs in the sixth inning and went on to take a 15-2 win over the Akron baseball team on Friday at Schoonover Stadium.
The loss leaves UA (17-37, 10-16 Mid-American Conference) in need of a win in Saturday's series finale to ensure its spot in the 2012 MAC Tournament. The Kent State (36-17, 23-3) win also gave the Golden Flashes a point in the inaugural PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge.
Freshman Matt Rembielak batted 3-for-4 to lead the Zips at the plate. Junior Jared Turocy also had a multi-hit day and drove in a run. Freshman Pat Dyer (3-5) allowed five runs in four innings to take the loss.
David Lyon hit a pair of home runs to key Kent State. Ryan Bores (7-2) gave up two runs in 5.1 innings to grab the win.
Lyon stoked the Golden Flashes to a 1-0 lead with a solo shot to left in the first. Dyer was then hurt by a pair of walks in the third, as the lefty issued free passes to Alex Miklos and Jimmy Rider to start the inning. After the runners advanced on a wild pitch, George Roberts chopped a single over the head of Rembielak at short to make the score 3-0.
Turocy smacked a triple off the top of the fence in right center to put Akron on the board in the fourth. Rembielak scored from first on the play after beating out a bunt single.
Back-to-back two-out RBI singles pushed the KSU lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Rider singled in Derek Toadvine and - after advancing on a wild pitch - scored on Lyon's blooper down the left field line.
The Zips had the bases loaded with nobody gone in the sixth but managed only one run. Dan Burant, Tyler Begun, and Rembielak all singled to load the bags. Sam Watkins then hit a one-hopper to the right of third that Sawyer Polen knocked down. Polen would step on third to force out Begun as Burant scored. After Turocy was hit on the hand by a Michael Clark pitch, Washington was called out on strikes and Devan Ahart grounded back to the mound to end the threat.
Back-to-back-to-back homers sparked the nine-run Kent State sixth inning. The Golden Flashes used just five hits in the inning and benefited from four Jason McPeek walks and a hit batsman.
UA can secure its spot in the 2012 MAC Tournament with a win in Saturday's series finale at Schoonover Stadium. Akron's Alex Loftin (3-3, 3.22) and KSU's Tyler Skulina (8-2, 4.14) make up the pitching match-up. First pitch is at 1 p.m.
Zips Notebook: Akron will also make the MAC Tournament if Buffalo loses to Bowling Green on Saturday.
