Kent State Walks Off Miami (OH) to Win 5-4, Improves to 19-5

Friday, March 27

Kent, Ohio

3 PM ET

Kent State University

19-5, 9-1

Miami University (OH)

15-9, 5-5

Miami (Ohio)

Kent St.

Kolton Schaller and baseball team celebrating after win

Kent State Walks Off Miami (OH) to Win 5-4, Improves to 19-5

3/27/2026 7:29:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

KENT, Ohio – Down four runs and eight outs from a series-opening loss, Kent State baseball rallied for five unanswered runs over the final four innings to walk off Miami (Ohio) 5-4 Friday afternoon at Schoonover Stadium. The Golden Flashes improved to 19-5 overall and 9-1 in MAC play.

Caden Leonard earned the victory in relief, tossing 1.1 shutout innings to close the door and preserve the comeback.

The RedHawks jumped on starter Ciaran Caughey early, plating a run in each of the first three innings to build a 3-0 lead and adding a fourth in the sixth off reliever Rocco Bernadina to go up 4-0. Caughey finished with five innings pitched, allowing three runs on seven hits with two strikeouts.

Kent State broke through in the bottom of the sixth with three runs. Brady Marshall led off with a triple to right center, and Alejandro Covas drove him home with a single through the right side. After a groundout moved Covas to second and Luke Matthews drew a walk, a first-base error off Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe's grounder allowed two more unearned runs to score, making it a one-score game.

The Flashes tied it in the seventh when Ripken Reese doubled and eventually came around to score on a Brody Williams single up the middle for a 4-4 tie.

The RedHawks threatened in their final two trips to the plate but were turned away each time. Parker Lind stranded three in the seventh, and Leonard navigated around a two-out walk in the eighth to keep it even heading to the ninth.

Reese drew a leadoff walk to open the Kent State ninth, and Sawyer Solitaria followed with a single through the right side before stealing second. With two on and one out, Kolton Schaller delivered the walk-off single to left field, scoring Reese and sending Schoonover Stadium into celebration.

Solitaria reached base four times on the afternoon, drawing two walks and collecting a pair of hits. Reese went 2-for-4 with a walk, one stolen base, and scored twice. Covas finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.

Game two of the series is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch Saturday at Schoonover Stadium.

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