April 18, 2008

Final Stats

Contact: Greg Murphy

LORAIN, Ohio - Cleveland State fell behind early, had chances to tie the game late, but came up short in a 4-3 loss to Tiffin on Friday afternoon at The Pipe Yard.

Tiffin improved to 15-14 this season, while the Vikings fell to 12-17 with their fourth straight loss.

"We had our chances today, but couldn't execute when we had to," head coach Kevin Kocks said. "But that will start to come around the more we mature.

"What I am disappointed with is our lack of mental toughness. We are starting to face some adversity and nobody is displaying any kind of mental toughness. We have no leaders on this team right now."

Bobby Cash finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Alex Kerins and Kyle Bischof, who was 2-for-5, also drove in runs for CSU.

Tiffin got on the board in the third as a Kyle Leggett sacrifice fly scored Justin Blair, who walked earlier in the inning. However, CSU came back with two runs in the bottom of the third to take a 2-1 lead.

Tom Carter began the rally with a one-out walk, stole second and moved to third on a single from Brad Buell. Kerins followed with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Carter to knot the game at one apiece. A single by Kyle Bischof allowed Buell, who had stole second, to come in and score.

It remained 2-1 until the fifth when Tiffin plated three runs to regain the lead. The Dragons used a two-run single by Trevor Woodjetts, as well as two walks and three wild pitches in the inning to score their runs.

CSU pulled back within one run (4-3) on an RBI double by Cash. Bischof, who singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Adam Heideman, scored on Cash's double.

The Vikings had chances to tie the game at 4-4 in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, but could not do so. In the seventh, Sam Clyde led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Carter. Buell was retired on a deep fly ball to centerfield for the second out, but Clyde was able to move to third on the out. After Kerins walked, Bischof fouled out to end the threat.

The eighth inning was almost a mirror image of the seventh as Heideman was hit by a pitch to start the inning, stole second, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Geric. With the Dragon infield pulled in, Cash sent a sharp one-hopper to third base and was retired for the second out. After John Foco walked to put runners on the corner, Sam Clyde struck out to end the inning.

Pinch hitter Josh Hungerman led off the ninth with a double high off the wall in leftcentefield. Roger Prettyman came in to pinch run at second for Hungerman and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Buell. However, that would be as far as he would get as Kerins struck out and Bischof flied out to centerfield to end the game.

Don Smith worked seven innings, surrendering three runs on seven hits and fanning four to improve to 2-0 this season. It was his first start of the season. Kenny Shaw worked a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the season.

Jason Bailey went 3-for-5 to lead the Dragons at the plate.

Solomon Haberkost (0-1) took the loss for CSU, going two innings and giving up three runs on three hits. He did strike out three.

CSU will return to action on Saturday (April 19) afternoon when the Vikings host Milwaukee for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. at The Pipe Yard. The Panthers won two of three games from CSU in Chicago last weekend.