Huskies Double Up Flashes in MAC Opener

Friday, March 19

3:00 PM

Kent State University

6-6, 0

Northern Illinois University

2-10, 0

Northern Illinois

Kent State

Photo by: Gabby Kingston

3/19/2021 6:23:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

KENT, OHIO- Northern Illinois scored three in the fifth and took game one of a four-game series with the Golden Flashes, 6-3 in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams.

The Golden Flashes scored first on Friday afternoon, pushing across a run in the first without the benefit of a base hit. Cam Touchette walked, stole second and went to third on a throwing error. Ben Carew then lifted a sac fly to left and Kent State had a 1-0 lead.

Northern Illinois answered back in the third with two of their own to take the lead. The Huskies used a couple of hits and a pair of fly balls to plate the two runs. The Huskies chased starter Ryan Lane in the fourth after moving runners to second and third with two out. Lane battled through three and two-thirds innings on Friday. The righty got out of jams in each of the first three innings as the Huskies had at least two runners on in each of the first four innings. Richie Dell came on in relief in the fourth and got a ground out to end the inning and the threat.

Kent State tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with three-straight singles. Collin Mathews reached on a bunt single and went to third on a base hit by Justin Miknis. The Flashes put a squeeze play on with Justin Kirby who drove Mathews home and reached on a bunt single of his own, tying the game at two.

Northern would take the lead for good in the fifth. Five-straight batters reached with two outs in the fifth with the big blow being a bases loaded single by Brendan Joyce that scored a pair of runs. Jack Kartsonas replaced Dell on the mound but the Huskies had grabbed a 5-2 lead. Kartsonas was terrific on Friday, going the final four and a third innings, allowing just one unearned run.

The Kent State offense would not be able to solve NIU starter Michael Lasiewicz. The righty got stronger as the game went on, retiring 10 straight after NIU had taken the lead in the fifth. The Flashes scratched across a run in the eighth on a Mathews single to make it 5-3, but would get no closer. NIU added an unearned run in the ninth and closed the door on any Kent State comeback.

Northern Illinois moves to 2-10 with the win and 1-0 in conference. Kent State is now 6-6 and 0-1 in the MAC. The two teams will meet again for the middle two games of the four-game series on Saturday afternoon. The first of two seven-inning games will start with a 1 p.m. first pitch.