Polen's Walk-Off Blast Helps Flashes in Doubleheader Split

Tuesday, April 28

5:00 PM

Kent State University

24-18

Oakland University

8-29

Oakland

Kent State

Photo by: David Dermer

Polen's Walk-Off Blast Helps Flashes in Doubleheader Split

4/28/2015 9:19:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Box Score Game One (pdf) Box Score Game Two (pdf)

KENT, Ohio – It took a walk-off homerun from Sawyer Polen for Kent State (24-18) to split a doubleheader with Oakland (8-29) on Tuesday. Kent State took game one 5-4 in eight innings then lost 4-3 in game two.

In game one, the Golden Flashes were up 4-0 through five. In the 2^nd they had a two run inning starting with a fielder's choice by Dylan Rosa and RBI double by Tim DalPorto. DalPorto came home later in the inning on a fielding error.

They scored twice more in the 4^th when Jeff Revesz singled and Rosa followed with a two-run shot over the wall in left field.

Jared Skolnicki pitched excellently with one run and six strikeouts in 5.1 innings while giving up just four hits. Zach Spangler got the final two outs of the 6^th in relief.

Oakland tied the game in the 7^th on a three-run homerun after a base hit and a walk to send the seven-inning game to extra innings.

With two outs in the bottom of the 8^th, Polen hit his first homerun of the year on a 1-0 count to hand the Golden Flashes the win.

Zach Willeman finished the game with no hits in 1.1 innings with a walk and strikeout. Josh Pierce also appeared in the game to pitch 0.2 innings.

Kent State had six hits in the opening game scattered throughout the order. Four were for extra-bases.

In game two, the Golden Flashes got ahead again, this time 2-0 after a run in the first two innings. In the first, Polen stayed hot with a single and then stole second to score on a double by Tommy Monnot. In the 2^nd, DalPorto walked and came around on a Luca Fuscardo single.

The Golden Grizzlies tied the game in the 3^rd then took the lead with a run in the 4^th. They followed with one in the 6^th to make it a 4-2 game.

Kent State tried to answer when Zarley Zalewski led off the 6^th with a double and was later singled home on a Rosa base hit RBI. But, they could not overcome the visiting Golden Grizzlies a second time.

Eli Kraus went 3.2 innings in the start with six hits, three runs, one walk and four strikeouts. Eli Martin followed with 1.1 hitless innings with no walks two strikeouts. Jason Revesz suffered the loss in his first appearance this year. Tim Faix finished the game on the mound with one hit, one walk and one strikeout in 1.2 innings.

Zalewski and Fuscardo each had two hits in three at-bats as the team totaled seven hits in the second game of the day.

The Golden Flashes will travel to Buffalo to take on the Bulls this weekend in a regular Mid-American Conference three-game series.