Central Michigan University
Kent State
Chippewas Fall In Opener Of Showdown Series
4/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
KENT, Ohio - An athletic competition will often come down to one combatant making fewer mistakes.
Central Michigan and Kent State were even in that department on Friday, as each committed three errors. Two of the Chippewas' miscues came in the decisive seventh inning as they dropped a 9-7 decision to the Golden Flashes in a battle of Mid-American Conference division leaders at Kent State's Schoonover Stadium.
The loss dropped CMU to 22-19, 10-3 MAC. The Chippewas continue to lead the West by two games over Eastern Michigan, which is 8-5 in league play after a 6-3 loss at Buffalo on Friday. It marked the first time in five MAC series this season that CMU has dropped the opening game.
The win was Kent State's seventh straight, lifting the Golden Flashes to 26-12, 11-2.
The teams play game two of the series on Saturday (4 p.m.) and the finale is scheduled for Sunday (1 p.m.). Freshman left-hander Tyler Hankins (4-1) is scheduled to start for CMU on Saturday against Zach Willeman (5-3).
Just seven of the 16 runs scored in Friday's games were earned. The Chippewas had committed just one error in their previous six games.
Daniel Jipping and Robert Greenman each hit a two-run homer to stake the Chippewas to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. It was the third consecutive game that CMU has hit two homers.
It was Jipping's team-leading ninth home run of the season and his fourth in the last three games, during which he is hitting .500 with 12 RBI. Greenman is second on the team with six homers.
Kent State chipped away and took a 5-4 lead with three runs in the fourth. The Golden Flashes led 6-4 when the Chippewas scored three runs - all unearned - in the top of the seventh to seize a 7-6 lead. Jason Sullivan had an RBI single and Evan Kratt picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly in the frame.
CMU relinquished the lead in the bottom of the inning as Kent State pushed across three runs - all unearned.
CMU starter Dazon Cole issued a walk to open the frame and was replaced by Jordan Grosjean. An error put runners at first and second and, with two out, Dom Iero singled in a run to tie it 7-7. An RBI bunt single broke the tie, and a Chippewa error allowed another run to score.
Grosjean (0-3) took the loss. He allowed two runs on three hits, walked one and struck out four. Cole went six innings, allowing seven runs (five earned) on seven hits with four walks and seven strikeouts.
Jared Skolnicki (2-2), the second Kent State pitcher, earned the win and Patrick Dayton worked the ninth for his second save.
