Kent State salvages final game with Louisville

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FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The 23rd-ranked University of Louisville baseball team was unable to complete a sweep of visiting Kent State, falling to the Flashes 9-0 Sunday in Jim Patterson Stadium.

The game was a pitchers duel through the first six innings.

Cardinal starter B.J. Rosenberg retired the first eight of the game before Jared Bartholomew hit a 2-1 pitch out to center to give the Flashes their first lead of the series, 1-0 in the third inning.

Kent’s Chris Tremblay opened the top of the sixth with a triple to center and scored on a base hit by Ben Klafczynski to make it 2-0 Flashes.

Rosenberg (2-2) was saddled with the loss, despite allowing just two runs on four hits, striking out five in 5.2 innings.

Louisville ran into trouble in the seventh.

“We didn’t command the zone, we did not handle the bunt defense and that is very frustrating,” said Head Coach Dan McDonnell.

Cory Hindel singled and Bartholomew’s sac bunt attempt was mishandled by Cardinal first baseman Andrew Clark, putting runners at first and second with nobody out. Tremblay walked to load the bases and an RBI single by Doug Sanders was followed by Ben Klafczynski’s grand slam that broke open the game. A Hindel sac fly closed the inning with the Cards trailing 8-0.

A solo home run by Anthony Gallas in the ninth sealed the final margin.

KSU starter Chris Carpenter (1-1) tossed seven innings, scattering three hits and two walks, while striking out three. Jon Pokorny and Reid Lamport each added a scoreless frame.

Dean Kiekhefer relieved Rosenberg for the Cards, but gave up an earned run on a hit and a walk in a third of an inning. Gabriel Shaw was touched for three earned runs on two hits, a walk and three hit batters, striking out one for his only out.

Gavin Logsdon worked an inning and tow-thirds, retiring all five batters he faced, and Thomas Royse surrendered a run on a hit in the ninth.

The Cardinal offense was limited to just four singles, two of which came off the bat of Justin McClanahan. They did not send a single baserunner to third on the afternoon.

The Cardinals will host Tennessee Wednesday in Jim Patterson Stadium with first pitch taking place at 3:00 p.m. ET before opening BIG EAST play against UConn Thursday in a three-game set.

Admission to all regular season home games is free.