Kent State University
9-10, 4-2
Ohio
7-10, 3-3
Offense Erupts as Flashes Take Finale
3/17/2024 4:25:00 PM | Baseball
ATHENS- The Golden Flashes' offense erupted for the second time this week, scoring 13 times in the fifth and routing the Ohio Bobcats 22-4, taking the finale of the three-game series.
Josh Johnson collected four hits, scored four times and drove in a team-high seven in the victory. It was a balanced effort across the board as every starter contributed either a hit, rbi or run scored in Sunday's win.
The game started by mirroring the previous two games of the series. Kent State scored first on a Jake Casey sac fly in the second, only to see Ohio answer back with solo tallies in the second and third. It stayed 2-1 into the fifth before the Flashes' offense hit the afterburners. Kent State sent 17 men to the play in the inning rapping out 10 hits in the frame. Ten straight Flashes' reached safely on a hit or a walk during one stretch of the inning as Ohio burned through four pitchers to get out of the fifth. Dom Kibler had the big blow, cracking a three-run homer to right and four of the 10 hits in the inning went for extra bases.
That was more than enough run support for Calvin Bickerstaff as he needed only 67 pitches to get through five innings on Sunday. The righty gave up two runs on three hits, walking nobody and striking out four to improve to 2-2 on the year. Ciaran Caughey and Caden Leonard each worked an inning to finish out the rule-rule game.
The Flashes more to 9-10 overall on the year and 4-2 in the MAC while Ohio is now 7-10 overall and 3-3 in MAC play. Kent State wraps up the road trip on Tuesday in Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers, first pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bickerstaff, Calvin (2-2)
L: B. Gaskey (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Johnson, Josh 2 ; Ashby, Connor 1 ; Macdonald, Lance 2
HR: Johnson, Josh 1 ; Kibler, Dom 1
RBI: Johnson, Josh 7 ; Orr, Tim 1 ; McNamara, Michael 1 ; Kibler, Dom 4 ; Havekost, Hunter 1 ; Casey, Jake 1 ; Ebbing, Payton 2 ; Ashby, Connor 2 ; Macdonald, Lance 2 ; Reese, Ripken 1
SH: Johnson, Josh 1
SF: Casey, Jake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson, Kyle 2 ; Johnson, Josh 4 ; Orr, Tim 1 ; Klotz, Hunter 1 ; McNamara, Michael 4 ; Kibler, Dom 2 ; Casey, Jake 1 ; Ashby, Connor 2 ; Macdonald, Lance 2 ; Reese, Ripken 3
SB: Jackson, Kyle 1 ; Johnson, Josh 2
HBP: McNamara, Michael 1
Batting:
2B: A. Finney 1
HR: P. Mancino 1
RBI: P. Mancino 1 ; G. Antle 1 ; T. Cassidy 1 ; C. Cutter 1
SF: C. Cutter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: P. Mancino 2 ; A. Finney 1 ; N. Dolan 1
