Kent State University
38-14, 22-6
Ball State
33-19, 19-9
Sweet 16! Flashes Clinch 16th MAC Regular Season Title
5/18/2023 7:15:00 PM | Baseball
MUNCIE, IN-The Golden Flashes clinched the 16th regular-season title in program history with an emphatic 29-11 victory at Ball State on Thursday afternoon.
Every starter had a hit, run scored and a RBI in the offensive onslaught on Thursday. It was a team effort top to bottom as the Flashes set season highs in runs, rbi and homers in the victory.
Both Jake Casey and Mack Timbrook enjoyed two homer days, with Casey driving in seven runs and Timbrook scoring six times. It is Casey's second two-homer, seven rbi game of the season, matching the feat he set against Youngstown State. Timbrook became the first Golden Flash to cross the plate six times since Jason Patton did it at Ohio during the 2009 season.
The Flashes got the offense rolling in the second with Casey's first homer of the game, a three-run shot to center field. Timbrook followed with a solo shot to make it a 4-0 ballgame. Kent State would break it open in the third and the fourth scoring 10 times in each frame. Highlighting the outburst was a Kyle Jackson three-run homer in the third inning and a Casey grand slam in the fourth.
That would be more than enough offense for the Kent State staff. Benny Roebuck got his sixth win of the season, striking out five in 3.2 innings of relief of starter Ben Cruikshank. Jaden Varner would get the final three outs and assure that the conference tournament rolled through Schoonover Stadium.
The win moves Kent State to 38-14 overall and 22-6 in the MAC while Ball State sits at 33-19 and 19-9 in conference play. The two teams will be back at it again tomorrow with a 3 p.m. first pitch set from Muncie.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Roebuck, Benny (6-1)
L: Trennor O'Donnell (4-3)
Batting:
2B: Miknis, Justin 1 ; Ashby, Connor 1
HR: Mathews, Collin 1 ; Jackson, Kyle 1 ; Casey, Jake 2 ; Timbrook, Mack 2
RBI: Mathews, Collin 2 ; Miknis, Justin 4 ; Longwell, Aidan 4 ; McNamara, Michael 2 ; Jackson, Kyle 4 ; Schaller, Kolton 2 ; Casey, Jake 7 ; Timbrook, Mack 4
SF: McNamara, Michael 1 ; Jackson, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mathews, Collin 5 ; Miknis, Justin 4 ; Longwell, Aidan 3 ; McNamara, Michael 2 ; Jackson, Kyle 1 ; Schaller, Kolton 3 ; Johnson, Josh 1 ; Casey, Jake 4 ; Timbrook, Mack 6
HBP: Mathews, Collin 1 ; Casey, Jake 2 ; Timbrook, Mack 1
Batting:
2B: Blake Bevis 1 ; Zach Lane 1
HR: CJ Horn 1 ; Zach Lane 1
RBI: Adam Tellier 1 ; Decker Scheffler 2 ; Casey Turturici 1 ; CJ Horn 1 ; Blake Bevis 2 ; Zach Lane 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Nick Gregory 1 ; Grant Miller 1 ; Ryan Peltier 1 ; Decker Scheffler 1 ; Casey Turturici 1 ; CJ Horn 2 ; Zac Jones 1 ; Zach Lane 2 ; Justin Conant 1
CS: Andrew Wilhite 1
HBP: CJ Horn 1
PO: Nick Gregory 1
