Bryan Thrasher

KENT, OH - A seven-run eighth inning helped lift Kent State to an 11-2 win over Buffalo in the opener of a three-game series at Gene Michael Field on Friday afternoon.

Kent State scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 2-0 lead. The Bulls cut the lead in half in the top of the fifth inning when Bryan Thrasher (Utica, NY/Proctor) doubled home Phil Vanhorne (Scarborough, Ontario/Mother Teresa). The Golden Flashes added a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-run home run by Adam Crowder to take a 4-1 lead. Joe Mihalics (Tonawanda, NY/Timon/St. Jude) scored the Bulls' second run on a Kent State error to make the score 4-2.

Kent State put the game away in the bottom of the eighth inning when it scored seven runs on eight hits. The key blow was a three-run home run by Chad Kinyon.

The Golden Flashes pounded out 18 hits, including 4-for-4 performances by both Chuck Moore and Joe Tucker. Thrasher and James Kingsley (Medina, NY/Medina) each collected three hits for UB.

Mark Tourangeau (Oakville, Ontario/Queen Elizabeth Park) allowed two runs over four innings and was charged with the loss. Andy Sonnanstine gave up one earned run over 7.2 innings to pick up his seventh win of the season for Kent State.

The loss dropped the Bulls to 10-26 overall and 3-8 in the MAC. Kent State improved to 22-21 overall and 8-8 in the conference. The second game of the series will be played on Saturday afternoon at 1 pm.