Kent State University
16-17, 8-7
Toledo
19-17, 12-6
Flashes Slug 10 Dingers in Sunday Win
4/14/2024 4:59:00 PM | Baseball
TOLEDO- Kent State blasted a program-best 10 home runs in a comeback 18-12, extra inning victory over Toledo on Sunday afternoon.
The 10 homers are a program-record and bested the previous high of seven in a win over the Zips in Akron in 2022. The mark is second in Division-I this season, trailing only Duke who hit 11 against George Mason earlier this year. It's just the fifth time this decade a team has hit 10 or more Kyle Jackson, Lance MacDonald and Brody Williams each had two homer runs while Josh Johnson, Payton Ebbing, Michael McNamara and Ripken Reese each hit one. It wasn't just the long ball for the Flashes, it was a balanced offensive effort with each starter getting at least one hit and scoring at least one run.
Kent State stormed back in this one as Toledo built leads of 6-2 and 9-3 before the Flashes clawed back into the contest. McNamara's homer got the comeback started, a two-run homer that scored Ebbing and made it a 9-5 game. An inning later Brody Williams hit his second of the game, another two run homer to make it 9-7. The Rockets got one back in the bottom of the inning only to see the Flashes bang three homers in a four-run eighth. MacDonald and Johnson hit solo homers and two batters later Kyle Jackson hit his first homer of the game, a two-run shot to give Kent State its first lead at 11-10.
The lead didn't last long as the Rockets got a lead-off homer in the bottom of the eighth, tying things at 11. In the ninth, Ebbing picked a great time for his first college homer, sending a 1-0 pitch over the centerfield wall to give Kent State a 12-11 lead. The Rockets again answered, scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth, but Peyton Cariaco got a ground out to get out of the inning, leave the winning run stranded and send the game to extras.
In the 10th, Johnson and Tim Orr started the inning with singles before Jackson cleared the bases with his second homer of the game, putting Kent State up 15-12. The Flashes weren't done, taking advantage of an error and putting two more on base in front of MacDonald. His second of the game cleared the right field wall and put the Flashes up six. Cariaco sent the Rockets down in order in the 10th, clinching the victory.
The win moves Kent State to 16-17 overall and 8-7 in the MAC, dropping Toledo to 19-17 overall and 12-6 in conference. A busy five-game week awaits the Flashes, first up is a trip to Happy Valley to take on Penn State on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cariaco, Peyton (2-1)
L: McCune (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Kibler, Dom 1
HR: Johnson, Josh 1 ; Jackson, Kyle 2 ; Williams, Brody 2 ; Ebbing, Payton 1 ; McNamara, Michael 1 ; Macdonald, Lance 2 ; Reese, Ripken 1
RBI: Johnson, Josh 1 ; Jackson, Kyle 5 ; Williams, Brody 3 ; Ebbing, Payton 1 ; McNamara, Michael 2 ; Macdonald, Lance 4 ; Reese, Ripken 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnson, Josh 2 ; Orr, Tim 2 ; Jackson, Kyle 3 ; Williams, Brody 3 ; Kibler, Dom 1 ; Ebbing, Payton 3 ; McNamara, Michael 1 ; Macdonald, Lance 2 ; Reese, Ripken 1
HBP: Hinds, Aiden 1
Batting:
HR: Mackiewicz 1 ; Walton 1 ; White 2 ; Konczak 1
RBI: Mackiewicz 2 ; Pike 1 ; Walton 2 ; White 4 ; Jackson 2 ; Konczak 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mackiewicz 2 ; Pike 2 ; Walton 3 ; White 2 ; Konczak 1 ; Scholvin 2
