A Jolly Jog Around the Bases for Holly

Friday, February 16

Huntsville, TX

7:30/6:30c

Kent State University

1-0

Sam Houston State

0-1

Kent State

Sam Houston State

2/16/2018 11:38:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Junior’s ninth-inning slam caps gritty at-bat; Flashes comeback

By: Ty Linder

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – In a February season opener that had the feel of a game in early June, Kent State stunned defending regional champion Sam Houston State, 7-4 on Friday night, erasing a 4-2 ninth-inning deficit on Josh Hollander's two-out, two-strike grand slam.

Struggling all night to collect a big hit with the bases loaded, Hollander finished off an eight-pitch at-bat with a rising missile to left field that followed three-straight foul balls with the game on the line. Prior to Hollander's slam, KSU was 0-5 with bases loaded on the evening. A year ago the Golden Flashes were 2-12 when trailing after eight innings.

"This was a culture win," head coach Jeff Duncan said. "We competed like a Kent State team should. Everyone contributed. To go into their yard and win like that is special."

With the Bearkats – a Super Regional team in 2017 – leading 4-2 after eight, the Golden Flashes immediately mounted a threat. After the leadoff hitter was retired, Kian O'Brien reached on an error. Pete Schuler then singled on the infield to put runners at first and second, but a fly out to right brought KSU to within an out of an opening night defeat. Ben Carew then hit a sharp liner off closer Nick Mikolajchak's foot to score O'Brien. A walk to Michael Turner set the stage for Hollander's theatrics.

"I knew a fastball was coming. I wasn't going to let him beat me with it, so I was just looking to put a good swing on it," Hollander said.

Robert Zeigler worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the year to make a winner out of reliever Chris Martin, who missed most of the 2017 season due to a knee injury.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Hollander's gutty AB: With one of the nation's finest closers struggling to find his command, Hollander took back-to-back pitches out of the strike zone to get ahead in the count, 2-0. After a borderline strike and another one out of the zone, he sat pretty at 3-1 with the bases loaded down a run. That's when Duncan did something he rarely does – give Hollander the take sign. With the count full and runners everywhere, the Cincinnati native fouled off three straight pitches before blasting one over the left field wall.

QUOTABLE

"I was kicking myself. I never do that. And I was afraid I'd cost him the best pitch in the at-bat."

- - Duncan, on giving Hollander the take sign on a 3-1 count in the ninth

"These guys are the most popular team in the country right now. When you look at what they did last year and the expectations people have for them this year, this is an incredible win."

- - Duncan, on knocking off the Bearkats

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

With the win, Kent State is now 43-15 on the road since 2016 - a winning percentage of .775

Kent State's record under Jeff Duncan in season openers improved to 2-3 with the win. The Flashes hammered Belmont last year, 15-0.

Hollander's Friday night blast wasn't the first time a grand slam quieted a Texas crowd. In June 2011, David Lyon's sixth-inning laser off Taylor Jungmann helped KSU defeat the Texas Longhorns in NCAA Tournament play.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Golden Flashes will aim for a series win when the two teams continue the series Saturday afternoon. KSU will send Joey Murray to the mound while Sam Houston counters with righty Hayden Wesneski.