Kent State baseball lose series to Pepperdine
KSU 2, Pepperdine 0
The Flashes pitching staff threw another tremendous game in this matchup, starting with ace senior left-hander David Starn. Starn, now 3-2, went seven strong innings with only one walk and five strikeouts.
“David is going to give us a chance to win every single time,” coach Scott Stricklin said.
Starn was relieved by junior Casey Wilson for the eighth and ninth inning, recording his 2nd save of the season for the Flashes.
The Flashes bats came alive for the series opener, recording nine hits against Jon Moscot, who went nine innings. Flashes’ first baseman George Roberts went 3-for-4 with a run batted in.
KSU 4 — Pepperdine 10
The Pepperdine Waves brought the bats out for game two of the three game series against the Flashes.
Junior right-handed pitcher Ryan Bores only went four innings, facing 26 batters, giving up 11 hits, two walks and seven earned runs. Bores fell 3-2 on the season for the Flashes. Sophomore Dan Slavik and freshman Tim Faix both saw action out of the bullpen.
The Waves gave Kent State trouble offensively early in this matchup, especially the Waves’ freshman catcher Kolten Yamaguchi.Yamaguchi went 3-for-5 with two singles and a double while freshman right fielder Aaron Brown drove in four of Pepperdine’s 10 runs.
KSU 4 – Pepperdine 6
The Flashes were hoping to take the series victory with a win in the final game of the series, but failed to calm Pepperdine’s offensive strike.
Sophomore hurler Tyler Skulina took the hill for the series finale. Skulina only went four innings, giving up five earned runs on eight hits while walking four. Statistically, this was the worst performance for Skulina on the season.
The Waves would add onto their 2-0 lead with a bases-loaded double that scored two runs in the fifth from designated hitter Floyd Given. The Waves would extend their lead to five before the inning ended.
In the sixth inning, the Flashes would get on the board as Roberts hit a two-run homerun to put the score at 5-2.
The Flashes would later add two more runs, though it wouldn’t be enough against the Waves’ offense.
“This road trip has been very challenging with the amount of travel and the quality of the opponents we’re facing,” Stricklin said. “It should show our team that we can compete with anybody in the country.”
Kent State will continue their road trip tonight against Fresno St. in a two-game series. The first pitch is scheduled for 9:05 p.m.