Flashes Clinch MAC Tournament Berth With 8-7 Win Over Miami - Kent State Golden Flashes

Flashes Clinch MAC Tournament Berth With 8-7 Win Over Miami

5/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

OXFORD, Ohio The Kent State University baseball team (30-24, 13-10 MAC East) held on to defeat the Miami RedHawks, 8-7, in game two of a three game series today in Oxford, Ohio. The win ties the series at 1-1 and secures the Golden Flashes a berth in the 2004 MAC Tournament after Akron fell at Ohio, 6-5, in game one of a doubleheader in Athens.

After a solid outing by KSU starter Jason Brunke, the Kent State bullpen did its job and closed the door on the RedHawks (34-18, 14-7 MAC East) in the final three innings. Justin Laraway pitched the seventh and faced one batter in the eighth, giving up no runs on two hits with two Ks. Chad Wagler then came on to record his team-leading fifth save of the season. Wagler pitched the final 2.0 innings and gave up one run on two hits and got the dangerous Mike Ferris, the MAC leader in home runs, to fly out with a runner on base to end the game.

Brunke pitched 6.0 innings, giving up six runs on five hits while striking out four and walking three. At one point, Brunke retired 13 in a row and retired Miami in order in the second, third, fourth and sixth innings.

Chad Kinyon led the way for Kent State at the plate, finishing the game 3-for-5 with an RBI. Matt Sega was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI and Chuck Moore finished 2-for-5 with an RBI.

We continued our offense into today which was good to see and I thought we had some very good at-bats," head coach Rick Rembielak said. "We played error free baseball and the bullpen kept the door shut and that was the difference today. It was a total team effort today. Everyone had a hand in the win.

Miami opened the scoring in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead. After a Brandon Hillier double and back-to-back walks loaded the bases, Sam Sellerys deep sacrifice fly to right plated Hillier for the first run. John Slone then came home from third on a wild pitch by Brunke.

The Flashes finally woke up the bats in the top of the third, scoring four runs on four hits to take a 4-2 lead. After a Joe Tucker walk and Kinyon single put runners at first and third, Sega drove in Tucker with a sharp single up the middle for the first run. Crowder then plated Kinyon with a single down the left-field line, just past the reach of Miami third baseman Brian Canada, to tie the score. Next, Gregg Hillers groundout RBI to second scored Sega from third to grab the lead before Moores RBI single through the right side scored Adam Crowder to make it 4-2 Kent State.

An RBI single to left by Kinyon and a RBI fielders choice by Sega in the fourth extended KSUs lead to 6-2. Kinyons hit scored Davis who reached on a single to left while Segas RBI plated Tucker.

In the fifth, Hiller blasted his second home run of the season, a monster solo shot over the scoreboard in left-center to make it 7-2 Kent State.

Miamis big inning came in its half of the fifth with four runs to cut Kent States lead to one, 7-6. The inning was highlighted by a three-run homer to left by John Slone off Brunke. Hillier added the other run with a RBI double prior to Slones eighth dinger of the year.

Sega made it 8-6 Kent State in the sixth when his RBI double down the left-field line plated Tucker from second who also reached on a double.

Slones two-out RBI single in the ninth cut the lead to 8-7 before Wagler got Ferris to fly out to end the game.

The rubber game of the series is Sunday at 1 p.m.

Split-image graphic featuring a Kent State Golden Flashes pitcher extending through his delivery on the mound at left, and a Kent State baserunner in a navy 'Kent State' Under Armour jersey and white pants standing on base at right, with the Mid-American Conference Baseball Tournament signage and the Kent State dugout visible in the background, and the Kent State Golden Flashes and Under Armour logos in the lower right corner.

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