Kent State Splits Doubleheader With Youngstown State Despite Lights-Out Pitching From Clark

Tuesday, April 8

Niles, OH

4:00 PM

Kent State University

20-10

Youngstown State University

4-21

Kent State

Youngstown State

Photo by: David Dermer

Kent State Splits Doubleheader With Youngstown State Despite Lights-Out Pitching From Clark

4/8/2014 10:10:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

NILES, Ohio – Kent State staged a late comeback in game one but could not pull out a win in game two despite 12 strikeouts from starter Michael Clark in a doubleheader split with Youngstown State on Tuesday (Apr.8).

The Golden Flashes took the first game 11-7 before falling 7-4 in the second set. They are now 20-11 on the season as the Penguins sit at 5-21.

Both teams tried everything they could to take game one, but it ended up being Kent State's hot bats in the 7^th inning that scored six runs to take the 11-7 victory.

"Our offense was really dynamic in that last inning to put across six runs," said Head Coach Jeff Duncan. "I thought we had a good approach that whole game."

The Golden Flashes stayed on their current trend of scoring in the first frame for the seventh time in the last eight games. They tallied two runs after leadoff single by Jacob Neuschaefer and Alex Miklos reached on an error. After a double steal, Neuschaefer scored on a ground out and Miklos came home on a wild pitch after stealing third.

Youngstown State's first two batters of the game were able to tie it in the bottom of the inning on a single and homerun. The Penguins then went on plate a run in the 2^nd and 3^rd to take a 4-2 lead.

Kent State was not going to be down long though, as they answered back with a two-run 5^th inning. Curtis Olvey led off the inning with a walk and got pinch-ran for by Zach Beckner. Jeff Revesz doubled Beckner home before he himself scored on a double by Miklos.

As the game would go, Youngstown State yet again replied with a crooked number in the 5^th as they took a two-run lead again. Both teams scored one run in the 6^th before Kent State plastered on a six-run 7^th inning to win the game.

In the final inning, Miklos and Justin Wagler led off with back-to-back singles to start the inning. In a big move by Duncan, the runners pulled off a double steal to put two in scoring position with no outs. Two batters later, Cody Koch singled to tie the game. The winning run came home after T.J. Sutton singled and the center fielder overran the ball that allowed Koch to advance an extra base to home.

The runs then piled on in the 7^th after RBI doubles by Sawyer Polen and Revesz, followed by a RBI single Wilson to seal the victory.

Eric Dorsch mowed down the Penguin bats in the bottom of the 7^th with two strikeouts and a flyout to earn the win. John Birkbeck went three innings in the game one start with five hits, three earned runs, one walk and two strikeouts.

Koch and Revesz both went 2-for-4 in the game while Miklos finished 2-for-5. All three each scored two runs.

While the bats were alive in game one, it was all about pitching in game two, as Michael Clark dominated, striking out ten batters in a row in the start. The lefty finished the day after five innings with two hits, no runs, two walks and an incredible 12 strikeouts.

"He was dynamite," Duncan said. "You can't pitch any better than that."

Along with being on the same page with his catcher, Revesz, Clark had everything in his arsenal working for him.

"The curveball was working," Clark said. "It felt good and I was consistent with it. I was throwing a fastball for strike one and strike two. It felt good. I was just trying to throw a shutout every inning."

Scoring was silent in game two until with two outs in the 3rd, Miklos came up with another double to score Beckner and Wilson, who had reached on a walk and infield single, making it a 2-0 game.

The Flashes scored two again in the 6^th. Base hits by Koch and Beckner created the damage in the inning.

Up 4-0 after the top of the 6^th, it looked to be an easy win for Kent State, but Youngstown State had a different idea, as they scored seven runs in the bottom of the inning to take the victory.

The bottom of the inning started with two hit batters and followed with an error. A wild pitch, single, another error, two more wild pitches and another single allowed Youngstown State to bring its seven runs across. Of the seven runs scored, only one was earned.

"The wheels fell off and sometimes that happens in baseball," said Duncan. "We just have to get better from it."

Josh Pierce suffered the loss as he threw the final inning with three hits and two strikeouts. Despite his impressive start, Clark ended with no decision.

"We just need to focus this week and bounce back strong this weekend," said Clark.

Koch stayed productive at the plate with another two hits in three at-bats. Wilson and Beckner also picked up two hits each in the second game.

The Golden Flashes return home this weekend to host Miami in a three-game conference series beginning on Friday at 6:00pm.