Kentucky State University baseball fell victim to a late-inning comeback on Tuesday night to Cedarville University, 10-7 at Yellow Jacket Field.
The Thorobreds (13-26, 7-5) have had a rough stretch against non-conference opponents during the 2017 season, going 6-21 overall. KSU only has two remaining non-conference contests on the schedule, a rematch with the Yellow Jackets on Apr. 19 and a meeting with Asbury University on Apr. 26 at Whitaker Bank Ballpark.
“We had too many mental mistakes tonight,” said head coach Rob Henry. “We had a lead early, but let it slip away. We have to remember how to close out games and how to play with a lead.”
KSU scored six early runs over the first four innings, as sophomore right fielder Jay Poullard highlighted the attack, going 2-for-2 with a double and three RBIs in his first two plate appearances. Poullard finished his day 3-for-4, boosting his season average to .333 and ranks second on the team with 33 RBIs.
The Yellow Jackets answered with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, running junior starting pitcher Chae Butler from the game, wrapping up his first appearance since Mar. 24 against Tuskegee. Butler gave up six hits and four earned runs over his three total innings of work.
Freshman pitcher Matthew Oxford entered the game in relief of Butler, holding the Yellow Jackets to only two earned runs over four innings, leaving the game with a 7-6 lead.
Junior Justin Stinson (0-4) was saddled with the loss as CU pushed across four earned runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, completing the comeback attempt for a 10-7 final.
Senior third baseman Brandon Story extended his streak to seven games, tying a season high as he went 2-for-5 with a RBI. Stinson also extended his hit streak to a team-high eight games, going 1-for-6.
The Thorobreds will come back to the Capital City and face off with Lane College for a three-game series, beginning on Friday with a doubleheader, first pitch is at noon, followed by a single nine-inning affair on Saturday at 1 pm ET.
by Eric Mathews