After two unsuccessful tries, Kent State coach Scott Stricklin picked up his first win as head coach yesterday against Louisville.

The Flashes (1-2) dropped the first two games of the series 3-2 and 11-4 but beat the Cardinals 8-3 yesterday.

The teams were tied at 0-0 in the fourth inning, when Kent State earned four runs, including senior outfielder Gregg Hiller’s three-run home run.

Freshman pitcher Chris Carpenter kept Louisville off the board into the sixth inning. Carpenter pitched 5.2 innings in his first collegiate start.

“It feels really good to end the weekend on a positive note and get (a win) under our belts,” Stricklin said in release on www.kentstatesports.com. “Despite the adverse weather conditions, I thought Chris Carpenter threw really well and pitched himself out of several jams.”

—Matt Peters