Kent State University
35-14, 0
Eastern Michigan
23-24, 0
Eagles Pull Away from Flashes Late
5/12/2023 7:16:00 PM | Baseball
YPSILANTI, Mich. – Kent State came up just short in a back-and-forth battle against Eastern Michigan in the series opener on Friday, falling 9-6.
The Flashes (35-14, 19-6 MAC) and Eagles (23-24, 9-16 MAC) traded punches from the get-go. After Eastern Michigan jumped out to a 3-1 lead through three innings, a 2-RBI double from Josh Johnson tied the game and an infield single from Collin Mathews brought him home to give the Flashes the 4-3 advantage in the fourth, but the Eagles answered with a run of their own. Both squads scored a run apiece in both the fifth and sixth innings.
Tied 6-6 entering the seventh, the Flashes put runners on base in the final three frames but were unable to plate the go-ahead run. Eastern Michigan tallied three runs in the bottom of the eighth to seal the opener.
Johnson continued his torrid stretch at the plate, blasting a pair of doubles and driving in three of the Golden Flashes' six runs. The senior now has five extra-base hits in his last three games.
Kent State will look to rebound and remain atop the Mid-American Conference tomorrow in the second game of the series at 3 p.m. Joe Whitman, ranked the No. 24 starting pitcher in the nation by D1Baseball, will take the mound for the Flashes.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: JEFFERIES, Jagger (3-2)
L: Kolenda, Jordan (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Schaller, Kolton 1 ; Johnson, Josh 2
RBI: Mathews, Collin 1 ; Miknis, Justin 1 ; Johnson, Josh 3
SH: Jackson, Kyle 1 ; Timbrook, Mack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mathews, Collin 1 ; McNamara, Michael 2 ; Jackson, Kyle 1 ; Schaller, Kolton 1 ; Johnson, Josh 1
SB: Mathews, Collin 1
HBP: Mathews, Collin 2 ; Schaller, Kolton 1 ; Casey, Jake 1
Batting:
2B: DOLNEY, Aaron 1 ; HUGO, Logan 1 ; WILCOX, Cole 1
HR: KROSS, Josh 1
RBI: KROSS, Josh 2 ; HOPKINS, Taylor 1 ; TAYLOR, Cory 1 ; WILCOX, Cole 2 ; MCRAE, Blake 2
SH: MILLER, Glenn 1 ; WILCOX, Cole 1
SF: MCRAE, Blake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: KIRK, Matt 1 ; KROSS, Josh 2 ; DOLNEY, Aaron 3 ; HUGO, Logan 1 ; WILCOX, Cole 1 ; MCRAE, Blake 1
SB: DOLNEY, Aaron 2
CS: TAYLOR, Cory 1
HBP: KIRK, Matt 1
PO: HOPKINS, Taylor 1
