Baseball Drops a Pair to Kent State

(game 1 box) (game 2 box)

3/18/05 – Long Island suffered a pair of losses Friday to Kent State, 5-3 and 7-1 in Jacksonville, Fla. to close its southern road trip.

The Blackbirds (2-5) in game one scored single runs in the second and third inning for a 2-0 lead. Tim Doherty (Newark, Del.) laced an RBI single to score fellow junior Matt Martino (Staten Island, N.Y.) and freshman Bryan Burke (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) crossed home on a wild pitch.

The Golden Flashes (8-6) scored once in the fourth and grabbed the lead for good with four runs in the six inning, highlighted by Kurt Eichorn’s two-run homer.

Senior Christopher Brescia (Nanuet, N.Y.) lined an RBI double in the seventh for LIU to close the scoring. Junior Matt Bunyan (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) struck out six over 5 1/3 innings, permitting three runs and five hits.

John Pacella struck out eight, yielding two runs and five hits over six innings for Kent State.

In game two, LIU scored in the bottom of the first for a 1-1 tie. Burke led off with a single up the middle and was erased on a fielder’s choice by junior Trey Bell (Georgetown, Del.). Bell stole second and scored on a double to center field by sophomore Marcus Wynn (Plainfield, N.J.).

Kent State scored three runs in the third and seventh inning to clinch the doubleheader sweep. Drew Saylor closed with three hits and three RBI with Greg Rohan adding three and two.

Sophomore Ryan Ekberg (Carmel, N.Y.) allowed four runs and five hits over four innings with three strikeouts for the Blackbirds. Sophomore Robert Rowen (Rosendale, N.Y.) collected two hits.

LIU on Tuesday plays its home opener against the University of Rhode Island, beginning at 3:00 pm.