Kent State University
15-20, 0
Miami University (OH)
17-23, 0
Flashes Blast Six Homers in Sunday Win
4/24/2022 5:29:00 PM | Baseball
KENT, OHIO- Kent State cracked six homers and stormed past Miami 17-10 to earn the weekend split on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Schoonover Stadium.
Mike McNamara hit two homers and drove in six and was joined by Payton Pennington, Josh Johnson, Collin Mathews and Justin Kirby as part of the home run brigade.
The fireworks started early on Sunday as Miami struck for five in the first inning. Kent State answered back with Pennington's lead-off solo homer and the first of McNamara's two two-run homers to make it 5-3 after one inning.
McNamara struck again an inning later sending a moon shot over the left field wall to tie the game at five. It stayed knotted at five into the fourth when Miami re-took the lead on a pinch-hit homer from JJ Woolwine.
Kent State took a lead they wouldn't give back in the fifth. After a pair of singles put two on, Josh Johnson ripped a 2-1 pitch over the right-center field wall to give Kent State a 8-6 lead. An inning later, the Flashes added to the lead, scoring twice without getting a hit.
Miami made one final push, scoring a trio of unearned runs in the seventh and loading the bases. Richie Dell, who had come on in relief in the sixth, got a strike out to end the inning and preserve the lead.
The Flashes again had an answer for Miami, erupting for four runs in the bottom of the inning. Collin Mathews hit a pinch-hit two run homer off the light tower in left center. Mack Timbrook had a rbi triple and McNamara's sixth ribbie of the game drove him in to make it 14-9. A Justin Kirby solo missile over the left field wall and Pennington's fourth hit of the game, a two-run single, capped the scoring for the Flashes.
Brody Ware got his first collegiate win, going an inning and a third of shutout baseball, allowing only two walks on his day. The win also moves Kent State to 15-20 overall and 10-12 in the MAC. They will take the short trip down I-76 on Friday to start a four-game Wagon Wheel series with the Zips. First pitch for the series opener is set for 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ware, Brody (1-0)
L: Nick DeMonica (1-4)
Batting:
2B: David Novak 1 ; Stephen Krause 1
HR: JJ Woolwine 1
RBI: JJ Woolwine 1 ; Parker Lester 1 ; David Novak 1 ; Stephen Krause 4 ; William Escala 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Benji Brokemond 1 ; JJ Woolwine 1 ; Zach MacDonald 1 ; Cole Andrews 2 ; Brian Zapp 1 ; Parker Lester 1 ; David Novak 2 ; Nick Neibauer 1
SB: Zach MacDonald 1
CS: William Escala 1
HBP: Benji Brokemond 1 ; JJ Woolwine 1 ; Cole Andrews 2
Batting:
2B: Pennington, Payton 2 ; Kirby, Justin 1
3B: Timbrook, Mack 1
HR: Pennington, Payton 1 ; McNamara, Michael 2 ; Johnson, Josh 1 ; Kirby, Justin 1 ; Mathews, Collin 1
RBI: Pennington, Payton 3 ; Timbrook, Mack 1 ; McNamara, Michael 6 ; Johnson, Josh 4 ; Kirby, Justin 1 ; Mathews, Collin 2
SF: Johnson, Josh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pennington, Payton 4 ; Timbrook, Mack 3 ; McNamara, Michael 2 ; Longwell, Aidan 1 ; Johnson, Josh 1 ; Kirby, Justin 1 ; Miknis, Justin 2 ; Mathews, Collin 2 ; Casey, Jake 1
CS: Pennington, Payton 1 ; Johnson, Josh 1 ; Kirby, Justin 1
HBP: McNamara, Michael 1
