Flashes Fly Past Eastern Michigan to Even Series

Saturday, May 13

Ypsilanti, MI

3:00 PM

Kent State University

36-14, 0

Eastern Michigan

23-25, 0

Kent State

Eastern Michigan

Photo by: David Dermer

Flashes Fly Past Eastern Michigan to Even Series

5/13/2023 5:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Kent State leveled the series with Eastern Michigan thanks to a stellar outing from Joe Whitman and some late-inning heroics from Collin Mathews, winning 4-1.

Whitman got the nod for the Golden Flashes and hurled a gem, throwing 7.1 innings and allowed only four hits and one earned run, striking out five. The Flashes gave him some run support early, as Justin Miknis brought home Mack Timbrook with a two-out RBI single in the third inning and later scored on a balk.

Mitchell Scott entered the game for the Flashes with one gone in the eighth after Eastern got a man aboard with a single to right. The Eagles loaded the bases against Scott and put a run up on the board on an infield single. Scott got the next Eastern batter to pop one out to shallow center field, where Mathews ran in to make the catch and fired a perfect strike to Miknis at the dish to nab the tagging runner and preserve the 2-1 lead.

Mathews then provided Scott with some run support, blasting a double to right with two away to score Timbrook. Miknis recorded his second RBI single of the day, sending a grounder through the infield to bring home Mathews. In the bottom of the frame, Scott shut down any would-be rally to earn his nation-leading 13th save of the season.

Whitman (8-1, 2.61 ERA) earned the win for the Flashes, who improve to 36-14 overall and 20-6 in Mid-American Conference play on the year and extend their lead atop the conference standings.

The rubber match of the series is set for Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.