Flashes Sweep With a 10-1 Victory Over the Rockets

Sunday, April 23

Kent, OH

1:00 PM

Kent State University

24-12, 0

University of Toledo

13-26, 0

Toledo

Kent State

Photo by: Nate Manley

Flashes Sweep With a 10-1 Victory Over the Rockets

4/23/2017 4:56:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

KENT, Ohio – Another fine pitching performance from the Kent State (24-12, 10-2) staff helped propel the Flashes to a 10-1 Sunday victory to complete the series sweep of Toledo (13-26, 7-8).

Unlike the previous two games, the Flashes' offense came alive to score ten runs on ten hits to give starter Joey Murray plenty of room to work with. The righty went 5.2 innings with just two hits and one earned run. Murray struck out eight while giving up two walks to improve to 5-0 on the year.

It took only until the 3^rd inning in this matchup for the first runs of the game to score. Kent State plated one when Josh Hollander walked, was moved to third on two bunt singles by Mason Mamarella and Luke Burch, and then came home on a sacrifice fly from Dylan Rosa.

The Rockets were able to answer in the next frame and tie the game at one, but a big four-run 5^th inning sealed it for the Golden Flashes.

In that inning, Hollander led off with a single, Mamarella doubled and Burch picked up two RBI on another double. Rosa then joined the club and switched places with Burch on a two-bagger of his own. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by Iero after Tim DalPorto had moved him over to third.

Kent State had an even bigger inning in the 7^th as they scored five to put the game far out of reach. It started with a walk to DalPorto and two balks to put him on third. He scored easily on a single by Iero. Nick Kanavas also singled before Reilly Hawkins would walk to load the bases with one out. Hollander followed with another walk to make it a 7-1 game. During the next at-bat with bases still loaded, Mamarella reached on a fielder's choice that would score two runners as a throw home to get an out sailed high. Burch was then walked to load the bases yet again before another walk later on to DalPorto, his second of the frame, would make it a 10-1 ballgame.

The great pitching didn't stop with Murray. Jared Skolnicki followed him with 2.1 shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out one Rocket. John Matthews closed out the game by going three up and three down with one strikeout.

Burch was 2-for-2 on the day with three walks, two RBI and a run scored. Mamarella and Rosa both finished 2-for-4 and scored a run each.

The Flashes will continue their homestand on Tuesday when they host Bowling Green at 6 p.m. in a non-conference game.