Lamport, Rohan help Kent St. win MAC title

The Golden Flashes are awaiting their NCAA tournament invitation.

YPSILANTI, Mich. — Kent State claimed its sixth Mid-American Conference tournament championship Saturday after winning its third consecutive one-run game at Oestrike Stadium at Eastern Michigan.

The Golden Flashes knocked off MAC regular-season champion Eastern Michigan, 3-2, for the second straight day and earned a berth into the 2007 NCAA Tournament after going 4-0 in the MAC event.

Tournament MVP Jason Patton broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth for Kent State with an RBI single, and Reid Lamport, a junior righthanded pitcher from Poland High, finished off the Eagles in the ninth.

Lamport earned his third save of the year after setting down the Eagles 1-2-3 in the ninth. He was named to the all-tournament team after throwing five scoreless innings in two appearances.

Lamport won Friday

Lamport ended the game the same way he did on Thursday against Miami, without a strikeout.

Lamport shut down the RedHawk bats, going the final four innings without allowing a run and leaving the tying run on second base in the bottom of the ninth to earn his second win of the season.

Third reliever Ryan Davis earned his sixth win for KSU.

Lamport has a 2-1 record and 2.45 ERA over 40.1 innings and 19 appearances with 35 strikeouts and 15 walks.

Jeff Hehr, a junior shortstop for Eastern Michigan from Cardinal Mooney High, went 1-for-3 at the plate Saturday, and also was named to the All-MAC tournament team.

Hehr led the Eagles in home runs (9), RBIs (39) and runs scored (34) while batting .299 (55-for-184) with eight doubles.

In EMU’s tournament opener Wednesday, Hehr hit a two-run homer to help EMU beat Toledo, 6-5.

Rohan helps rally

The deciding moment in Saturday’s final came in the eighth for KSU with the score tied at 2-2. Anthony Gallas reached on an infield single and Greg Rohan, a sophomore DH from South Range, walked to put two on with one out for Patton.

Patton fell behind in the count (1-2), before working it full and sliced a hit through the left side of the infield. Gallas rounded third and beat the throw home from left field for the go-ahead run and the eventual game-winner.

Rohan and Jared Bartholomew, a freshman center fielder from Howland, both went 0-for-3 at the plate in the title game.

Rohan is batting .274 (60-for-219) with 46 runs scored, 42 RBIs and a team-best 11 home runs and No. 2-tying 13 doubles.

In KSU’s 4-3 win Thursday over Miami (Ohio), Rohan’s eighth inning golf swing home run broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Flashes the win. Rohan had two hits and as many RBIs in that win.

Rohan on All-MAC team

Rohan, who sat out the 2006 season with an injury, was one of three KSU players selected to the All-MAC first team last Tuesday.

Also making the first team were Andrew Davis, a senior third baseman, and freshman leftfielder Anthony Gallas.

Bartholomew had one hit and one RBI in KSU’s 3-2 win over EMU on Saturday.

Bartholomew is batting .199 (33-for-166) with 17 RBIs and 19 runs scored, five doubles, three homers and one triple.

The Golden Flashes (33-24) have won 16 of their last 17 games heading into the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Regional competition will begin Friday.

The NCAA will announce its 16 regional sites today. The 64-team field will be announced Monday at 12:30.