Kent State University
26-20, 0
Bowling Green
14-31, 0
Long Ball Soars Flashes Past Bowling Green
5/10/2019 7:29:00 PM | Baseball
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio –The Kent State University baseball team (26-20, 13-7 MAC) won a back-and-forth battle against Bowling Green (14-31, 6-16 MAC) 18-9 in the first game of the three-game set at Steller Field Friday afternoon. Sophomore Michael Turner launched his second grand slam of the season in the top of the seventh to provide Kent State's third and final lead of the day.
The Kent State offense notched 20 hits with three home runs on the day, the 22nd time the Flashes have recorded 10 or more hits, the second time with 20 hits, and the sixth game Kent State has launched three home runs in single game in 2019. Every Kent State starter recorded a hit for the second time this season, forcing five Bowling Green pitchers to the mound in the first of the three-game set.
Turner led the team going 4-for-5 at the plate with six RBIs, while redshirt sophomore Ben Carew also added three hits and four runs scored. Carew extended his hitting streak to 12 games, reaching safely in each of the last 27 games. Freshman Justin Kirby collected three hits, three runs scored and two RBIs, including a solo home run in the top of the eighth, falling just a triple shy of the cycle.
Senior Kian O'Brien recorded three hits with three RBI hits and redshirt sophomore Alex Ronnebaum tallied two RBIs. Senior Pavin Parks launched his 10th home run of the year.
After BG tied it, the Flashes regained a 5-3 advantage in the top of the fifth, pushing across two runs on a single to center field off the bat of O'Brien, however the Falcons quickly responded with five runs on five hits and an error in the bottom of the sixth to take an 8-5 lead.
The tide turned in favor of the Flashes in dramatic fashion the top of the seventh inning as Kirby led off the frame with a double down the left field line and Carew followed with a single to center field to force a Bowling Green pitching change. Junior Cam Touchette drew a walk to load the bases before Turner launched his second grand slam of the season to regain a 9-8 advantage.
O'Brien followed the Turner long ball with a walk and advanced to third on a stolen base and a productive fly ball before scoring on a single through the left side by freshman Collin Mathews to make it 10-8, Flashes.
The extended the lead to 12-8 as Kirby slashed a solo home run to left field and O'Brien added an RBI-single to center field.
Kent State continued its offensive flurry with six runs on four hits in the top of the ninth inning. Mathews started the inning with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch as senior Josh Hollander drew a walk. Senior Pete Schuler entered the game and loaded the bases with a free pass before Kirby recorded a sacrifice fly to score Mathews. Carew re-loaded the bases with a walk for Touchette to drive in two runs with a single through the right side and force a pitching change. Turner collected two RBIs with a single hammered to left-center field and Parks rounded out the day with a sacrifice fly to deep right field to bring the final score to 18-8.
Redshirt sophomore Tyler Drabick earned his first win on the mound for the Flashes, tossing 2.2 innings in relief, scattering two runs on four hits. Senior Connor Wollersheim made his 13th start of the season, pitching 5.1 innings and striking out three.
Up next, the Flashes will take on the Falcons in the second game of the three-game set at Steller Field on Saturday, May 11, at 1:05 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Drabick, Tyler (1-0)
L: BURATTO, Daniel (2-1)
Batting:
2B: O'Brien, Kian 1 ; Ronnebaum, Alex 1 ; Kirby, Justin 1
HR: Turner, Michael 1 ; Parks, Pavin 1 ; Kirby, Justin 1
RBI: Touchette, Cam 2 ; Turner, Michael 6 ; O'Brien, Kian 3 ; Parks, Pavin 2 ; Mathews, Collin 1 ; Ronnebaum, Alex 2 ; Kirby, Justin 2
SH: Carew, Ben 1
SF: Parks, Pavin 1 ; Kirby, Justin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Carew, Ben 4 ; Touchette, Cam 2 ; Turner, Michael 1 ; Elsen, Nick 1 ; O'Brien, Kian 1 ; Parks, Pavin 1 ; Mathews, Collin 2 ; Hollander, Josh 2 ; Schuler, Pete 1 ; Kirby, Justin 3
SB: O'Brien, Kian 2 ; Mathews, Collin 1
CS: Mathews, Collin 1
Batting:
RBI: WILLIAMS, R.J. 1 ; MINORIK, Riley 1 ; WILSON, Jake 2 ; SMITH, Anthony 1 ; HAAS, Tyler 1
SH: MINORIK, Riley 1 ; DOHANOS, Dylan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WILLIAMS, R.J. 1 ; MINORIK, Riley 1 ; SCOTT, Jeff 1 ; LAMBERT, Neil 2 ; CROY, Brad 2 ; HAAS, Tyler 1 ; JOHNSTON, Ryan 1
CS: WILSON, Jake 1
