Kent State University
2-5
Charleston Southern University
2-6
Flashes Power Past Buccaneers
2/26/2019 9:59:00 PM | Baseball
Charleston, S.C. –The bats were hot at CSU Ballpark Tuesday evening as the Kent State baseball team (2-5) overpowered Charleston Southern (2-6), 9-1, for its second win of the season. The Flashes combined for 10 hits and sophomore Michael Turner led with two hits and two RBIs.
Junior Zach Schultz (1-2) picked up his first win of the season on the mound for the Flashes, spinning 5.0 scoreless innings. Allowing just three hits and two walks, the Indiana, Pa. native rung up a career-high eight batters on the night. Freshman Max Rippl added 2.0 innings of relief, striking out the side in order in his first frame out of the bullpen, and sophomore Jack Zimmerman closed it out with four strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work. The staff combined for a season-high 16 strikeouts, allowing just five hits and four walks on the night.
The Flashes took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning, scoring the first run on a sacrifice fly from senior Pavin Parks. Junior Patrick Ferguson followed with a solo shot over the fence in left-center field.
Kent State tacked on three more runs in the fifth to extend its lead over the Buccaneers to 5-0. Freshman Collin Mathews started the rally with a one-out single to left field. Sophomore Ben Carew followed with his ninth hit of the season, advancing Mathews to third, and stole second base moments later. Junior Cam Touchette ripped a single to left field to score the first run of the inning, and Turner followed with a two-RBI double down the right field line.
Errors and passed balls proved costly for the Buccaneers through the remainder of the game, as the Flashes scored four unearned runs in three innings. Touchette wreaked havoc on the base paths in the top of the seventh, manufacturing Kent State's sixth run by stealing second and third base and scoring on a throwing error by the CSU catcher.
The Flashes allowed a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but quickly responded with three runs on two hits and one error in the next frame. Parks was hit by a pitch to led off the top of the eighth with a free base. He later advanced on a passed ball and scored on a double by senior Pete Schuler. Schuler advanced to third on yet another passed ball and senior Josh Hollander reached on a fielding error in right field, scoring Schuler. Sophomore Nick Elsen singled to left, scoring Hollander for the final run of the evening.
The Kent State offense totaled ten hits for the third game in a row, while stealing a season-high eight bases. Turner went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, while Carew (2-for-5) and Touchette led the Flashes with three stolen bases apiece.
Next up, Kent State will look to win its third consecutive game, facing The Citadel at Joe Riley Park in Charleston, S.C. Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Schultz, Zach (1-1)
L: MAW, CODY (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Turner, Michael 1 ; Lewandoski, Greg 1 ; Schuler, Pete 1
HR: Ferguson, Patrick 1
RBI: Elsen, Nick 1 ; Touchette, Cam 1 ; Turner, Michael 2 ; Parks, Pavin 1 ; Ferguson, Patrick 1 ; Schuler, Pete 1
SF: Parks, Pavin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Elsen, Nick 1 ; Carew, Ben 1 ; Touchette, Cam 2 ; Lewandoski, Greg 1 ; Parks, Pavin 1 ; Ferguson, Patrick 1 ; Schuler, Pete 1 ; Hollander, Josh 1
SB: Carew, Ben 3 ; Touchette, Cam 3 ; Ferguson, Patrick 1 ; Hollander, Josh 1
HBP: Parks, Pavin 1
Batting:
2B: BRYAN, Brooks 1
SH: HORTON, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DELONGCHAMPS, Jack 1
SB: HORTON, Kyle 2
CS: WHITE, Jackson 1
HBP: WHITE, Jackson 1
