The University of Massachusetts baseball team lost to Kent State, 14-3, in the first game of their weekend series on March 20 at Murren Family Field at DiBenedetto Stadium in Hartford, Connecticut.
This result puts Massachusetts at a season record of 5-8 overall and 1-6 in the Mid-American Conference. Kent State improved its record to 16-4 overall and 6-1 in conference play.
Braden Sullivan led the Minutemen with two hits, including his first triple of the season and his second home run. Anthony Tirado contributed one hit and recorded his first collegiate triple. Sullivan scored two runs while Tirado added one. Reece McCarthy, Sullivan, and Ryan Kolben each had one run batted in.
Kent State took an early lead with a single in the first inning. Massachusetts tied the game in the second when Sullivan tripled and later scored on a sacrifice bunt by Kolben. In the third inning, Tirado’s triple set up another run for UMass after a sacrifice fly from McCarthy. The Minutemen extended their lead to 3-1 with a solo home run by Sullivan in the fourth inning.
Kent State responded by tying the game with two runs in the sixth inning and then taking control with three more runs in the seventh. The Golden Flashes added eight runs in the eighth inning to secure their victory.
Gavin Sitarz took the loss for Massachusetts after pitching one complete inning, allowing five hits and three runs while striking out two batters. Gavin Jones earned the win for Kent State by pitching two scoreless innings without allowing any hits or walks and striking out two.
The teams are scheduled to play game two of their series on Saturday, March 21, at Murren Family Field at DiBenedetto Stadium.
