BOX SCORE
Rock Hill, SC - Kent State scored in each of the first four innings en route to a 12-2 victory over Wagner in the Seahawks' season-opener in the Johnny Gill Memorial Tournament at the Winthrop Ballpark.
The Golden Flashes, who are picked to repeat MAC Champions by
Baseball America, improved to 2-2 on the year with their second-straight win after besting nationally ranked Georgia Tech last weekend.
Wagner mounted its first threat of the year with a two-out rally in the top of the first inning. Senior
Seth Boyd (Perth Amboy, NJ / Perth Amboy) singled to left field before advancing to second on an error. Senior
Joe Conforti (Staten Island, NY / Farrell) then moved Boyd over to third on an infield hit in his first at-bat since 2009 after missing last year due to injury. However, the Seahawks were denied when their attempted steal of home was snuffed out by the Kent State defense.
The Golden Flashes then struck for four first-inning runs in the bottom part of the frame. After loading the bases with one out, David Lyon hit a three-run triple to left center that cleared the bases before he came around to score on a sacrifice fly.
Kent State added to the lead with a single run in the bottom of the second inning but the damage could have been much worse. Facing a bases loaded, no out situation freshman LHP
Matt Morris (Matawan, NJ / St. John Vianney) struck out Jimmy Rider before coaxing reigning MAC Player of the Week Ben Klafczynski into a sacrifice fly and exited the inning by inducing another fly out.
The Golden Flashes pushed the lead out to 6-0 in the bottom of the third as they loaded the bases for the third-straight inning, but for the second-straight inning managed just one run as Morris recorded a pair of fielder's choices.
In the top of the fourth inning, Boyd drew a lead-off walk before moving to third on Conforti's second hit of the game, a single down the left-field line. Unfortunately, the Seahawks would come away empty-handed when senior
Kevin McDonnell (Bristol, CT / Avon Old Farms (CT)) lined into a tough-luck double-play, as Conforti was unable to get beat the throw back to second. Kent State LHP Kyle Hallock then induced a a pop out that kept the Green & White off the scoreboard.
In the bottom part of the frame, the Golden Flashes upped the lead to 10-0 while tagging Morris for four unearned runs and chasing the hard-throwing freshman. Morris (0-1) struck out two, but yielded 10 runs, six earned, on seven hits and four walks over 3.1 innings in his collegiate debut.
Wagner finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning with a two-out rally. Boyd singled to center field for his second hit of the game before advancing to third when Conforti reach on an error by the pitcher while moving to second on the miscue. McDonnell picked the pair up with a two-run single to right center.
Kent State immediately got those runs back in the bottom part of the seventh, providing the final 12-2 tally.
Van Spronsen was solid out of the bullpen, striking out eight, against one walk, over 4.2 innings of two-run relief.
Boyd led a seven-hit Wagner attack, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run while Conforti was 2-for-4 with a run and an outfield assist. McDonnell drove in both Seahawk runs and was 1-for-3. Rounding out the top offensive performers for the Green & White were
Eddie Brown (Edison, NJ / St. Joseph's Metuchen) and
Ian Miller (Downington, PA / Bishop Shanahan), who each recorded their first Seahawk hits.
Kent State, which outhit Wagner by a 14-7 margin, had eight of its nine starters hit safely, led by Klafczyski (3-4, 2 runs), Derek Toadvine (3-5) and Lyon (2-3, 3 runs, 3 RBI).
Hallock earned the win, striking out four while allowing just two unearned runs on seven hits and a walk over 8.0 solid innings.
Wagner will have little time to dwell as the Seahawks play tournament host Winthrop at 4:00 pm. For an audio feed of the game, please click
HERE
