Clark Hurls Flashes to Series-Clinching Win Over Huskies

Sunday, May 4

Kent, Ohio

1:00 PM

Kent State University

30-17, 14-7

Northern Illinois University

15-32, 9-12

Northern Illinois

Kent State

Clark Hurls Flashes to Series-Clinching Win Over Huskies

5/4/2014 4:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

KENT, Ohio – Brian Clark had perhaps his best start of the season Sunday afternoon (May 4), propelling the Golden Flashes to an 8-2 win over the Huskies to clinch the series.

Clark went 6.1 innings with one run, six hits, three walks and seven strikeouts. He has now matched his career-high of seven strikeouts in his last four outings.

"Brian Clark set the tone," Head Coach Jeff Duncan said. "He had a great outing, one of his best of the season if not the best of the season."

Kent State broke the game open early on with a five-run 2^nd inning. After two walks and a single, Sawyer Polen was hit by a pitch with bases loaded to score the game's first run. A Curtis Olvey fielder's choice then consecutive singles by Jon Wilson, Jacob Neuschaefer and Cody Koch provided the damage.

Northern Illinois got on the board with a run in the 6^th, but Kent State responded in the bottom of the inning with two runs of their own. T.J. Sutton walked and Jeff Revesz reached on an error before scoring on a Polen double and Olvey sacrifice fly, respectively.

The Golden Flashes' final run came in the 7^th on a bases-loaded hit by pitch.

John Birkbeck followed Clark out of the bullpen, fulfilling 1.2 innings with one hit, one run and two walks. John Fasola closed the door on the Huskies, leaving two batters looking and getting a groundout to end the game.

Kent State remains the Mid-American Conference East Division leader at 14-7, gaining a game on Buffalo who is 1.5 games behind. The Golden Flashes are tied with Central Michigan in second place overall, 2.5 games back of MAC-best Ball State.

Kent State travels to Ball State next weekend for a pivotal three-game conference series. Games are set for Friday at 3:00pm, Saturday at 1:00pm and Sunday at 1:00pm. All the action can be heard live on Golden Flashes iHeart Radio.