Flashes Walk-Off Toledo to Sweep Sunday DH

Sunday, April 2

Kent, Ohio

1:00 PM

Kent State University

17-9, 0

Toledo

13-12, 0

Toledo Rockets

Kent State Baseball

Photo by: David Dermer

Flashes Walk-Off Toledo to Sweep Sunday DH

4/2/2023 7:56:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

KENT- Kent State swept a Sunday doubleheader from Toledo and won the pivotal three-game series with a 6-3 win in game one and a comeback, walk-off 7-6 win in game two.

GAME ONE | Kent State 6 Toledo 3

Joe Whitman got the start in the first game of the double header and was dominant. The lefty matched a season high with 11 strikeouts and walked nobody in five-and-a-third innings of work. Whitman did allow three runs on six hits as Toledo struck in the top of the first, using a two-out triple and single to take the early lead.

An inning later, Jake Casey gave the Flashes the lead with a two-run double to right center, the first of two rbi doubles for Casey on the day. The teams would trade over the next two innings until the Flashes surged ahead in the fourth. Casey broke a 3-3 tie with that second double of the day and scored a batter later on a Kolton Schaller single to make it 5-3. Collin Mathews added insurance in the sixth with a moonshot home run to left.

The Kent State bullpen would make the lead stand, the trio of Calvin Bickerstaff, Jordan Kolenda and Mitchell Scott threw three-and-a-third scoreless innings of relief. Scott fanned two in the ninth to notch his third save of the season.

GAME TWO | Kent State 7 Toledo 6

The Flashes rallied in the nightcap, scoring three in the seventh and the walk-0ff run in the ninth to complete the Sunday sweep in a 7-6 win.

Ben Cruikshank got the start and sailed through the first inning. The lefty was tagged for a two-run homer in the second but settled in and limited Toledo to only two in the frame. The Rockets got two more in the third, ending the left-hander's day after he surrendered the two runs on a pair of walks and singles. Eric Chalus got a double-play ball to end the inning and hold the Rockets to a 4-0 lead.

Kent State got two back in the bottom of the third, Collin Mathews hit a double down the left field line that plated Schaller and sent Kyle Jackson to third. Two batters later, Jackson scored on a wild pitch. A safety squeeze by Schaller an inning later made it a 4-3 game as Kent State continued to chip away at the Toledo lead.

Toledo would stretch the lead back out to three with single tallies in the fifth and seventh off of Chalus. The normal Sunday starter was terrific in relief, Chalus went six innings allowing two runs on three hits while striking out eight and keeping the Flashes in the ball game.

It became a tie game in the seventh, off a three-run Kent State rally. Again it was Schaller who started things off, doubling to lead off the inning. The freshman scored on a Mathews' single and Justin Miknis parked the first pitch he saw over the right-center wall to tie the game at six.

Chalus and reliever Benny Roebuck pitched out of minor jams in the eighth and the ninth as the Rockets got the go-ahead run to second in both innings, but no further.

In the bottom of the ninth, Kyle Jackson started the inning with a walk. A sacrifice from Mathews' got him to second and then Toledo intentionally walked Aidan Longwell. Miknis grounded out to push the runners up to second and third with two out. Kyle Pijaszek then pitched around Mike McNamara, walking him to load the bases. That backfired as Mack Timbrook worked a five-pitch walk, sending home the winning run. Kent State didn't hit the ball out of the infield but took advantage of four Rocket walks in the ninth to get the win.

The sweep moves Kent State to 18-9 overall and 6-3 in MAC play. Toledo falls to 13-13 overall and 6-6 in conference. The Flashes will head down I-71 on Tuesday to take on Ohio State in a mid-week match-up. First pitch from Columbus is set for 6 p.m.