Longwell's Walk-Off Gives Flashes Saturday Split

Saturday, April 9

2:00 PM

Kent State University

10-14, 0

Bowling Green (7 Innings)

9-18, 0

Bowling Green

Kent State

Photo by: David Dermer

Longwell's Walk-Off Gives Flashes Saturday Split

4/9/2022 8:53:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

KENT, OHIO- The Golden Flashes and Bowling Green Falcons split a pair of wildly entertaining games with Bowling Green taking the seven-inning contest 6-4 and Aidan Longwell walked things off in the nightcap with a game winning double in the 10^th for a 5-4 victory.

GAME ONE: BOWLING GREEN 6 KENT STATE 4

The Golden Flashes couldn't overcome a four-run Bowling Green third inning in the game one loss. The Flashes had taken a 3-0 lead off a Justin Kirby solo homer, Mike McNamara double and Josh Johnson sac fly. But in the third, the Falcons strung together six hits in the four-run frame. It could have been five runs but a stellar relay from Collin Mathews to McNamara to Justin Miknis cut down a Falcon runner at the plate for the second time in as many games.

Kent State was playing catch-up from there and were unable to re-tie the game after the third. Richie Dell took the loss, going the first three and two thirds in game one. Peyton Cariaco, Aidan Longwell and Max Rippl went the final three and a third in the opener.

GAME TWO: KENT STATE 5 BOWLING GREEN 4 (10 INNINGS)

In the nightcap, the Flashes had opportunities to take an early lead, leaving the bases loaded in the first and leaving two on in the second. Josh Johnson saw that didn't happen in the third, lining a ball over the right field wall for an opposite field, three-run homer. Johnson's blast followed a Mack Timbrook run-scoring single as the Flashes struck for four runs with two out in the third.

Ben Cruikshank was cruising into the fifth before Bowling Green struck for two runs. A bases loaded walk and hit batter did the damage but Cruikshank got a grounder to second to end the threat and leave the bases loaded.

Both teams had opportunities to either extend the lead or tie the game but the bullpens rose to the occasion and got out of jams each time. That changed in the ninth when Bowling Green got a walk and an infield single off a check swing to start the inning. A sac bunt moved the runners to second and third and a two-out seeing-eye single to right tied the game at four. The Flashes got two on in the bottom of the ninth, but a pair of flyouts ended the threat.

Max Rippl retired the Falcons in order in the 10^th including a pair of strikeouts. In the bottom of the 10^th, Kyle Jackson walked and was moved to second on a sac bunt by Kirby. Longwell then took a 3-2 outside fastball and belted it off the left-center field wall. Bowling Green never bothered to throw it in as Jackson joyfully raced around third to score the game-winning run.

The split has Kent State at 11-14 overall and 6-7 in the MAC while Bowling Green is 9-19 overall and 6-11 in MAC play. The two teams will wrap up the series tomorrow with a 1 p.m. first pitch scheduled from Schoonover Stadium.