A ‘Good Friday’ at the Ball’Parks’

Friday, March 30

Kalamazoo, MI

12:00

Kent State University

13-9, 0

Western Michigan

11-12, 0

Kent State

Western Michigan

Photo by: Nate Manley

A ‘Good Friday’ at the Ball’Parks’

3/30/2018 7:10:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Solid pitching paired with Pavin Parks’ two homers helps KSU to sweep

By: Ty Linder

KALAMAZOO, MICH. – Kent State's run of superb starting pitching continued in a doubleheader sweep of Western Michigan Friday at Bobb Stadium.

In game one, Joey Murray was the story. He worked eight shutout innings and flirted with Kent State's first one-hitter in 23 years. Murray struck out 13 and left in the ninth. Only two times did WMU put runners in scoring position against him.

Offensively, KSU got things rolling in the first when Reilly Hawkins flared a two-out, two-run single to left. It stayed 2-0 until the fifth when Pavin Parks crushed his second home run of the season to right. It again came with two outs and a runner on to double Kent State's lead to 4-0.

The Golden Flashes then blew the game open with a four-run ninth against the Broncos' bullpen. 10 men came to the plate and the good guys got RBI hits from Brad Hamilton, Tim DalPorto and Greg Lewandoski. The Broncos got on the scoreboard thanks to Cooper Marshall's three-run homer in the ninth.

In game two, Conner Wollersheim locked down the Broncos' bats. Making only one mistake over his six innings of work. The lefty struck out five and issued no walks. He earned the victory thanks to some late-game KSU heroics.

With the game tied at 1-1 in the sixth, KSU put two on with one out for Parks. On the very first pitch of the at-bat, he ripped a searing line drive over the wall in right for a game-changing three-run homer. The Flashes added their last two runs when Josh Hollander doubled in the sixth and Mason Mamarella scored on a wild pitch in the seventh.

Freshman lefty Colin Romel worked the final two innings and a third for KSU with three strikeouts. With the two wins, Kent State is now a season-high five games over .500 at 14-9. The two teams aim to finish the series sometime Saturday at a time to be determined.