Flashes Pick Up Win in Series Opener at Eastern Michigan

Thursday, May 16

Ypsilanti, MI

4:00 p.m.

Kent State University

28-22, 0

Eastern Michigan University

11-41-1, 0

Kent State

Eastern Michigan

Photo by: David Dermer

Flashes Pick Up Win in Series Opener at Eastern Michigan

5/16/2019 7:16:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Kent State University baseball team improved to 28-22 overall and 15-8 in the Mid-American Conference, earning a 9-7 win over Eastern Michigan at Oestrike Stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan Thursday afternoon. Senior Connor Wollersheim earned his sixth win of the season on the mound, striking out eight in 5.0 innings of work.

The Flashes tallied 11 hits on the day, the 24^thtime the team has banged out 10 or more hits in a game this season. Redshirt sophomore Ben Carew led the offense, going 3-for-5 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. He is currently on a 16-game hitting streak and has reached safely in each of the last 31 games.

Senior Pavin Parks also went 3-for-5, belting his 11^thhome run of the year and picking up a pair of runs scored and RBIs. Freshman Collin Mathews knocked his third home run of the season, collecting three RBIs on the day, while freshman Justin Kirby each added a pair of hits.

The Flashes took a commanding 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning and never relinquished the advantage through the rest of the game.

Carew led off the game with a single up the middle, advancing to second on a fielding error by the Eastern Michigan center fielder. Junior Cam Touchette drew a walk and both runners advanced on a double steal. Sophomore Michael Turner recorded the first RBI of the day, knocking a sacrifice fly to right field. O'Brien followed with a single up the middle to score Touchette and Parks reached on a single through the right side. Mathews launched a three-run home run that nearly reached the trees beyond the wall in left field to round out the inning.

The score remained until the bottom of the third, when the Eagles plated three runs, stringing together four hits and a hit batter to bring the score to 5-3.

The Flashes added a run in the top of the fourth and the sixth innings to extend the lead to 7-5. Kent State capitalized on a lead-off walk drawn by Kirby, who scored on a fielder's choice later in the top of the fourth. Kirby again led off the top of the sixth with a double before going on to score on a sacrifice fly by senior Josh Hollander.

The Eagles continued to battle late in the game, managing two runs in both the bottom of the eighth and ninths and bringing the winning run to the plate with a chance to walk off, however Parks' two-run shot in the top of the ninth secured Kent State's 9-7 victory.

Wollersheim improved to 6-5 on the year in his 14^thstart for the Blue and Gold, spinning 5.0 innings striking out the side in both the first and the fourth innings. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Drabick added 2.1 innings of relief, scattering three hits and striking out one. Parks transitioned from shortstop to close out the game with 1.2 innings pitched and two strikeouts.

The Flashes and the Eagles will face off for the second game of the series Friday afternoon. The first pitch at Oestrike Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m.