Kent State University
0-1
Jacksonville
1-0
Cruikshank Brilliant, Dolphins Rally for Win
2/17/2023 9:51:00 PM | Baseball
JACKSONVILLE, FL- Ben Cruikshank tossed seven masterful innings but the Jacksonville Dolphins rallied with four in the eighth to steal opening night 6-5 inside John Sessions Park.
The lefty tossed seven innings of one-hit, two unearned run baseball while striking out eight against only two walks. The man affectionately called Bones needed only 86 pitches to get through his seven frames on Friday night.
However, Jacksonville rallied against two Kent State relievers, scoring four in the eighth. The Dolphins took advantage of a pair of Kent State errors on Friday with the latter bringing home the game-winning run on an errant pick-off attempt.
Kent State jumped on the board first on Friday night on a Mack Timbrook run-scoring groundout in the second. Michael McNamara had led off the inning with a double, the first of three hits on the night for the shortstop.
The 1-0 lead carried into the fifth when Jacksonville took advantage of the first Flashes' error of the night. Two batters later. Chandler Howard hit a first-pitch missile out of the park for a two-run homer and the only hit Cruikshank would give up on the evening.
The lead didn't last as the Flashes answered back in the sixth, Aidan Longwell parked a no-doubter to right to give Kent State a 3-2 lead. McNamara and Timbrook teamed up again with each member of the double play duo hitting doubles to make it a 4-2 lead. Josh Mrozek would extend the lead to 5-2 in the top of the eighth with a run batted in. The Flashes went in order in the ninth, unable to match the Dolphins' eighth-inning rally.
Kent State and Jacksonville will do it all over again on Saturday afternoon. Lefty Joe Whitman, a Purdue transfer is scheduled to get the ball for Kent State while Jacksonville counters with right-hander Christian Graham. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tommy Allman (1-0)
L: Dell, Richie (0-1)
S: Chris Lotito (1)
Batting:
2B: McNamara, Michael 2 ; Timbrook, Mack 1
HR: Longwell, Aidan 1
RBI: Longwell, Aidan 2 ; Timbrook, Mack 2 ; Mrozek, Josh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson, Kyle 1 ; Longwell, Aidan 1 ; McNamara, Michael 2 ; Casey, Jake 1
SB: Timbrook, Mack 1
CS: Jackson, Kyle 1
HBP: Casey, Jake 1
PO: McNamara, Michael 1
Batting:
HR: Chandler Howard 1
RBI: Justin Nadeau 1 ; Hogan McIntosh 1 ; Tommy Joseph 1 ; Chandler Howard 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Justin Nadeau 1 ; Blake DeLamielleure 1 ; Cam Ridley 1 ; Chandler Howard 2 ; Chase Malloy 1
SB: Cam Ridley 1
HBP: Colin Wetterau 1
