10th-Inning Victory Keeps Wagon Wheel at Kent State

Saturday, May 16

Akron, OH

1:00 PM

Kent State University

31-20, 0

University of Akron

25-28, 0

Kent State

Akron

Photo by: David Dermer

10th-Inning Victory Keeps Wagon Wheel at Kent State

5/16/2015 5:50:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (pdf)

AKRON, Ohio – With a lot riding on the line, Saturday's regular season finale turned out to be nothing short of a classic rivalry battle between Kent State and Akron. Both teams battled, but the Golden Flashes walked away with a 3-2 victory in the 10^th inning to win the series.

The win puts Kent State at 31-20 on the season and finalizes an 18-9 conference record. It results in the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge trophy remaining with the Golden Flashes for the 4^th time in four years of the competition. Kent State won the Mid-American Conference East Division and will be the No. 2 seed at next week's MAC Tournament. Central Michigan clinched the regular season title and No. 1 seed on Friday. Seeding is yet to be determined as the final four teams all entered the final regular season game with 13-13 records. The Golden Flashes will face the No. 7 seed on Wednesday to start the postseason.

In Saturday's game, Kent State got on the board first with a run in the 3^rd inning. Reilly Hawkins singled, advanced on a wild pitch, then came home on a RBI single by Zach Beckner on a full-count at-bat.

They added a run in the 5^th when Tim DalPorto led off and got hit by a pitch. He advanced on a balk and scored on a single by Hawkins.

The game remained a 2-0 Flashes' advantage until the 6^th when the Zips tied the game on a single, double, and two-out RBI single. After the bases became loaded for the second time in the frame, starter Andy Ravel worked his way out of the jam with a strikeout.

Things got interesting in the 9^th inning. After Kent State was retired in order, Akron put runners on second and third with a single, sacrifice bunt and error. Josh Pierce then entered the game with one out, got the lead runner out attempting to make it home then threw one pitch to get a ball hit back to the mound to take the game into extra innings.

In the 10^th, Beckner continued the momentum with a double to left center. Sawyer Polen then singled and Beckner made it home as the game-winning run on a misplayed ball.

The Zips weren't done threatening, though. In the bottom of the 10^th, they led off with a double and moved the runner to third on a groundout. During the next at-bat, Zarley Zalewski made a great play at third base and snagged the runner for the second out of the inning. Akron still continued to put pressure on, as a single put runners on the corners. Down to the final out, Pierce got a full-count fly ball to right field to end the excitement and give the Golden Flashes the 3-2 win.

Ravel went six innings with five hits, two runs, two walks and four strikeouts in the start. Skolnicki followed with 2.1 innings, giving up three hits and one walk but did not allow a run to come across. Pierce got the win in 1.2 innings of work.

Beckner and Zalewski both went 3-for-5 in the contest as Kent State racked up twelve hits. Hawkins and Polen contributed with two each.

Stay tuned to kentstatesports.com and @KentStBaseball on Twitter as seeding and game times become set for the MAC Tournament beginning Wednesday at All-Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio.