Pitching Leads Flashes to Friday Sweep

Friday, May 20

1:00 PM

Kent State University

23-28, 0

Eastern Michigan University (7 Innings)

21-33, 0

EASTERN MICHIGAN 22

Kent State

Photo by: David Dermer

5/20/2022 6:36:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

KENT, OHIO- The Golden Flashes got phenomenal pitching on Friday leading to a doubleheader sweep of the Eastern Michigan Eagles 5-0 in game one and 4-3 in game two.

GAME ONE: KENT STATE 5 EASTERN MICHIGAN 0

It was a true #BonesDay on Friday afternoon as Benjamin Cruikshank spun a gem in his final start of the season. The lefty went all seven innings, allowing no runs on one hit while striking out eight against three walks. The Eagles could only muster a runner to second base three times as the junior lefty turned in the second shutout of the season for Kent State.

The Flashes' offense was paced by Josh Johnson who went 2-2 with a pair of runs scored, Mack Timbrook who socked a two-run homer and Payton Pennington who singled home two in the second. For the second straight game, the Flashes capitalized on run-scoring opportunities, with five of the seven runners in the game coming into score.

GAME TWO: KENT STATE 4 EASTERN MICHIGAN 3

Peyton Cariaco got the start in game two on Friday and turned in another gem. The freshman ran into trouble in the seventh but tossed six shutout innings to start his day. Ultimately, he got a tough-luck no-decision and went 6+ innings allowing six hits and two earned runs, striking out six against two walks.

Nick Elsen got the party started in the third with a towering, wall-scraping homer that just cleared the left field wall and over the outstretched glove of Matt Kirk. It was Elsen's second homer in as many weekends. Kent State literally stole runs in the fourth and again in the sixth. The Flashes put on a double steal with Mack Timbrook and Josh Johnson, Eastern Michigan attempted to cut the throw to second off and relay it back to the plate to nab Johnson. That didn't happen as the ball sailed into center allowing Johnson to score. Johnson again caused problems in the sixth, drawing an errant pick-off throw at first that allowed Justin Miknis to score, giving Kent State a 3-0 lead.

The Eagles used a pair of doubles to score two in the seventh and manufactured a run in the eighth to tie the game off Calvin Bickerstaff. That set up the Josh Johnson heroics as he took a 1-2 pitch in the bottom of the eighth deep over the left field wall to give the Flashes a 4-3 lead. Bickerstaff worked around a walk in the ninth to earn his second win of the year.

The victories move Kent State to 19-18 in the MAC and 24-28 overall. Tomorrow's game has been moved up an hour to noon to account for impending rain. The Flashes will honor their eight-man senior class tomorrow with a pre-game ceremony starting around 11:30.