Box Score

Kent, Ohio - Western Carolina pushed across three runs in the top of the seventh inning to grab a two-run, 4-2, lead Thursday night over Kent State. However, the opportunistic Golden Flashes capitalized in the bottom of the frame, matching the three-spot by the Catamounts to take a 5-4 advantage, holding WCU off to win the nonconference series opener by that count at Schoonover Stadium.

Kent State claimed its 40th victory of the season, improving to 40-12 overall while Western Carolina dropped its third-straight game to fall to 25-27 on the year.

Thursday's opener was quite the pitcher's duel over the first five frames. WCU's Bryan Sammons scattered five Kent State hits over a five-inning start, benefiting from a pair of double-plays by the infield. The Wilmington, N.C., native surrendered an unearned run while countering a pair of walks with four strikeouts. On the flip side, Kent State starter Eric Lauer was as good as advertised, tossing 5.2 innings of scoreless, one-hit work with seven strikeouts -- fanning four-straight between the second and third innings.

The bullpens settled the series opener with redshirt senior Tim Faix (3-0) collecting the victory in three innings of action while WCU's Colton Davis (5-3) was saddled with the loss after two innings. Faix both walked and struck out three, allowing a pair of runs on two hits. Davis fanned four against a walk, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on a pair of hits.

WCU's pitching staff combined to strand 13 Kent State base runners on the paths on Thursday night while four Catamounts were left on base in the loss.

Redshirt junior J.D. Long paced the WCU offense with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, giving the Catamounts their only base hit through the first five frames against Lauer. Long added one of WCU's four RBI's in the three-run seventh. Four other Catamounts combined to reach the seven-hit total. Senior catcher Danny Bermudez reached twice with a single and a walk, driving home a run while sophomore Caleb Robinson likewise plated a run on a base hit.

Rounding out WCU's offense were outfielders Garrett Brown and Bryson Bowman both of whom singled in the nonconference contest. WCU had a scary moment in the seventh as freshman DH Andrew Bullock took a HBP to the head. His pinch runner, Jason Smith, scored one of WCU's three markers in the inning. Bullock -- who left the field under his own power -- was taken to a local hospital before the end of the game.

After being held in check over the first five-plus innings on Thursday night, Western Carolina's offense came alive in the sixth inning as three-consecutive Catamounts reached on singles with the Bermudez base knock into left field plating Long to knot the game at one.

However, Kent State responded with a trio of two-out singles to reclaim a one-run, 2-1, lead in the bottom of the inning.

In the decisive seventh inning, WCU loaded the bases with no outs as Bowman led-off with a single, Bullock was plunked and Kramer Ferrell reached on a walk. Robinson laced a single into left field to turn the carousel base, tying the game at two. The go-ahead marker scored on an infield double-play turned by Kent State before Long tallied his third hit of the day, dropping a single into left center to leave the Catamounts ahead, 4-2.

The Golden Flashes responded, though, in the bottom of the frame. The home squad put two aboard on a lead-off HBP and a single to center field. First-baseman Conner Simonetti then delivered a run-scoring double to the gap in left center field to put two aboard and make it a one-run, 4-3, game. With the bases loaded, Kent State benefited from a pair of errors at second base on force plays at the bag -- both coming as the ball was dropped on the exchange in looking for an inning-ending double-play with the calls going against the visitors.

WCU put two men aboard in the eighth inning for its best threat over the final two innings in searching for the equalizer, but were unable to find the game-tying run in falling, 5-4.

Kent State's No. 9 hitter Reilly Hawkins finished 3-for-4 while Simonetti tallied the game's only extra base hit with a RBI double in a 2-for-4 showing.

Game two of the series is scheduled for a 6:00 pm first pitch on Friday evening. Fans can tune-in to live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network online at CatamountSports.com, with social media updates available through Twitter using the handle, @Catamounts.