YSU’s lead disappears in a flash to Kent State

By Pete Mollica

Pitcher Adam Kalafos gave YSU five strong innings and a 4-1 lead, but YSU’s bullpen failed in a 9-5 loss.

KENT — Youngstown State senior pitcher Adam Kalafos gave the Penguins five strong innings and a 4-1 lead. Unfortunately the YSU bullpen couldn’t do the same.

After Kalafos left the game, YSU relievers Matt Tucker, Phil Klein and Craig Gillet allowed Kent State eight runs over the final three innings and the Penguins (17-26) suffered a non-conference defeat 9-5 Wednesday afternoon at Schoonover Stadium.

“It was disappointing because we talked about jumping out to an early lead, which we did and needing a strong effort out of Adam [Kalafos], which we got, but our bullpen just didn’t get the job done today,” said YSU baseball coach Rich Pasquale.

“Our relievers have got to come into the game and throw strikes and other than Gillet we didn’t get that today.”

Kalafos went five innings allowing just four hits and the one run that the Flashes scored off him in the third inning was unearned. He struck out six and walked three and even pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning.

Tucker, a freshman, came on in the sixth and allowed two runs to cut the Penguins lead to 4-3, then in the seventh he walked the bases loaded. With two outs he gave up two straight infield singles before Kline, also a freshman, came on and promptly walked the first two batters he faced forcing in two more runs. Gillet finally got the Penguins out of the inning, but the Flashes had scored five more and taken an 8-4 lead.

“We wanted to give our young pitchers some work today, but they’ve got to come out of that bullpen and throw strikes when they come in there,” Pasquale added.

The Penguins jumped on Kent starter Alan Morrison quickly, scoring two runs in the first and two more in the second.

In the first senior Josh Page opened the game with a single to right. With one out Morrison hit senior Erich Diedrich and walked freshman Eric Marzec to load the bases.

Morrison then walked freshman Joe Iacobucci to force in the first run and sophomore Anthony Porter lofted a sacrifice fly to center scoring Diedrich with the second run.

In the second inning freshman Jason Reitenbach singled to open the inning and was sacrificed to second by Page. Senior Sean Lucas then hit a shot into deep left-center for a double that scored Reitenbach and Diedrich followed with a single up the middle to score Lucas.

Kent scored its first run in the third when Kalafos walked Tyler Martin to open the inning. Doug Sanders followed with an infield single to short but David Leon threw the ball away on the play, allowing Martin to come around and score.

The Penguins had runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth inning, but couldn’t come up with the hit when they needed it. They also had a runner thrown out at the plate in the seventh, when Diedrich tried to score from second on a single to center by Iacobucci.

Leading 4-1 going into the sixth, Tucker allowed a lead off single to Brett Weibley, who ripped a line shot off Tucker’s leg and beat it out. With one out he walked Ryan Tokarz and after two outs gave up a double to right-center by Doug Sanders scoring both runners, although Sanders was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple.

In the seventh the Flashes (26-17) never hit the ball out of the infield and scored five times. Both of their hits were infield singles and the Penguins issued five walks and committed one error.

YSU was led at the plate by Reitenbach who had three hits including an RBI double in the eighth, while Diedrich had two hits as the Penguins outhit the Flashes 12-8.

Former Poland High standout Reid Lamport came on to pitch in the eight inning and finished the game picking up his fifth save of the year.

The Penguins will open a three-game Horizon League series with Wright State on Friday at 7 p.m. at Eastwood Field and they will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.