Kent State University
42-15
Central Michigan
34-23
Flashes Eliminate CMU, Will Play for MAC Title
5/26/2023 4:23:00 PM | Baseball
KENT-There will be a new champion in the Mid-American Conference as Kent State eliminated the Central Michigan Chippewas with a 10-2 victory in a win-or-go-home game at Schoonover Stadium.
It was a balanced offensive effort on Friday with nine different players accounting for 12 base hits in the victory and six different guys driving in a run.
Brody Williams started the scoring with a sacrifice fly to the track in left center field, plating Michael McNamara in the second inning. Central Michigan tied the game an inning later on a bang-bang play at home plate. With the bases loaded, Garrett Navarra hit a ground ball to first, Aidan Longwell tagged the bag and fired home but Ely Stuart beat the throw home to tie the game at one. Central took the lead in the fourth off a sac fly, but Jordan Kolenda worked out of a jam to keep it a 2-1 ball game.
Kent State took a lead they wouldn't give up in the bottom of the fourth. Kyle Jackson walked, stole second and scored on a Josh Johnson bunt where the throw sailed down the right field line. Josh Mrozek and Justin Miknis came through with run-scoring singles and it was a 4-2 contest after four innings.
The Golden Flashes relievers made the lead stand up, Richie Dell got the win tossing two 2.1 innings of shutout ball in relief of Kolenda and starter Benny Roebuck. Mitch Scott earned the save, getting the final eight outs of the game. Scott inherited the tying run on second in the seventh and got a foul out and strike out to end the threat.
The Flashes broke it open with six insurance runs late. Aidan Longwell and Josh Johnson traded doubles in the seventh. In the eighth, a Collin Mathews single plated two and McNamara snuck one over the left field wall for a three-run homer, putting the game well out of reach.
The victory sends the Flashes to the championship round, needing to defeat Ball State twice in order to claim the title. First pitch in game one is set for 12:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dell, Richie (3-4)
L: WATERS, E. (4-2)
S: Scott, Mitchell (15)
Batting:
2B: NAVARRA, G. 1 ; WUESTENFELD 1 ; STENGREN, D. 1 ; STUART, E. 1
RBI: NAVARRA, G. 1 ; STUART, E. 1
SF: STUART, E. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BRILL, J. 1 ; STUART, E. 1
SB: MITCHELLE, C 1 ; BRILL, J. 2 ; JACKSON, M. 1
Batting:
2B: Longwell, Aidan 1 ; Jackson, Kyle 1 ; Johnson, Josh 1
HR: McNamara, Michael 1
RBI: Mathews, Collin 1 ; Miknis, Justin 1 ; McNamara, Michael 3 ; Johnson, Josh 1 ; Williams, Brody 1 ; Mrozek, Josh 1
SH: Mrozek, Josh 1
SF: Williams, Brody 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mathews, Collin 1 ; Longwell, Aidan 2 ; McNamara, Michael 2 ; Jackson, Kyle 1 ; Johnson, Josh 1 ; Casey, Jake 1 ; Schaller, Kolton 1 ; Ashby, Connor 1
SB: Mathews, Collin 1 ; Jackson, Kyle 1
CS: Johnson, Josh 1
HBP: Schaller, Kolton 1
