Feb. 16, 2007

Box Score

Contact: Josh Rattray

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - A four-run bottom of the seventh erased an early Cleveland State lead in the Vikings' 5-1 season-opening loss to West Virginia Thursday at Ernie Shore Stadium.

With the Vikings leading, 1-0, heading into the bottom of the seventh, West Virginia's Vince Belnome led off the inning by reaching second on a dropped fly ball. A wild pitch by senior Stephen Procner sent Belnome to third. After Mike Schmidt walked to put runners on the corners, Austin Markel singled to score Belnome to the game at 1-1.

The very next batter, Justin Parks, gave the Mountaineers a 2-1 with a single that scored Schmidt. After a Cleveland State pitching change, WVU's Jason Pape popped out to catcher Josh Geric on an attempted bunt for the first out, bringing up the top of the Mountaineer lineup.

After leadoff man Adam White walked to load the bases, Tyler Kuhn belted a two-run single to left to break the game open, 4-1.

The Mountaineers added an insurance run on an error in the bottom of the eighth to provide the final margin.

"We got some great pitching and we were prepared," head coach Kevin Kocks said. "We made a couple of crucial defensive mistakes.

"Offensively, we had our opportunities but we just didn't execute."

Cleveland State got on the board when sophomore DH Josh Hungerman scored on a single by junior first baseman Theo Hudson. Hungerman singled earlier in the inning.

Despite scoring just one run, CSU produced eight hits and three walks. Junior shortstop Bobby Cash led the way with a pair of hits.

The loss went to Procner (0-1), who had a quality start, allowing 4 runs (three earned) on four hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked three.

"Stephen Procner pitched well," Kocks said. "He pitched within the system and gave us a chance to win the ballgame. We'll win a lot of ballgames with effort like that."

Game two of the three-game set is Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Follow the live stats on CSUVikings.com.