KENT, Ohio - The baseball team (13-24) dropped a non-conference road game to Kent State (21-23) Wednesday 7-6 at Schoonover Stadium. The Purple Eagles tied the scored in the top of the eighth inning after trailing 6-2, but allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the inning for the loss.

The Golden Flashes scored six runs in the first three innings to take a 6-2 lead. Three of the six runs were unearned, as Kent State needed just five hits to take the lead.

Sophomore right-hander Jessel Mangal (Toronto, Ont.) kept the Purple Eagles in the contest with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. The reliever scattered two hits while walking two and striking out one while keeping the Golden Flashes off the scoreboard.

Junior Tim Alberts (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) led off the sixth inning with a walk, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on an error by Kent State's second baseman to inch closer, 6-3.

After leaving two runners in scoring position in the seventh, Niagara posted three runs in the eighth to tie the score at 6-6. Juniors Chris Leendertse (Ancaster, Ont.) and Steve Baldinelli (Niagara Falls, Ont.) drew one-out walks, and Frank Kurnik (Reno, Nev.) reached on an error that plated Leendertse. Two batters later, freshman Jason Cramer (Jackson, N.J.) singled up the middle with the bases loaded, collecting two RBIs and tying the score at six, but that's all Niagara could muster.

Kent State's second baseman Doug Sanders led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and advanced to second on a ground out. After a failed pick-off attempt by senior James Boyack (Buffalo, N.Y.) that advanced Sanders to third base, Anthony Gallas singled up the middle to plate the winning run.

Cramer was the lone Purple Eagle to collect multiple hits, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs.

The Purple Eagles look to snap their 10-game conference losing streak when they travel to Marist College, Saturday and Sunday for a three game series.