Skolnicki Sends KSU to Another Win

Saturday, April 28

Toledo, OH

1:05

Kent State University

27-12, 0

Toledo

14-25, 0

Kent State

Toledo

Photo by: David Dermer

4/28/2018 4:49:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Flashes score game’s final four runs to clinch series

By: Ty Linder

Skolnicki Sends KSU to Another Win

Flashes score game's final four runs to clinch series

TOLEDO, OHIO – Kent State rallied from an early deficit and scored four unanswered runs to beat Toledo for the ninth straight time, 4-2 on Saturday afternoon at Scott Park.

Undaunted by the rare early setback, the Golden Flashes chipped away at the Rockets' lead. Kent State used an RBI ground out from Brad Hamilton to get on the board in the second and doubles from Nick Elsen and Greg Lewandoski to tie the game in the fourth. They took the lead for good when Nick Kanavas stole second in the fifth and scored on an infield single by Tim DalPorto.

Meanwhile, starter Jared Skolnicki settled in beautifully after the two-run first. He shut the UT offense down over the next six innings – never letting another Toledo hitter even reach third base. Skolnicki struck out five and walked only one. He was assisted by another outstanding performance from the KSU defense, with Hamilton, Lewandoski and Reilly Hawkins all making sensational plays.

After a wild pitch gave Kent State a 4-2 lead in the eighth, Mike Birkbeck handed the ball to rookie left-hander Jack Zimmerman. He sliced right through the top of Toledo's order with two strikeouts. John Matthews the picked up his first save of the year when he worked an uneventful ninth.

With the win, KSU is assured of no worse than a two-game lead in the Mid-American Conference. The Golden Flashes give the ball to veteran lefty Eli Kraus Sunday in the series finale at 1:05.