Kent State University
10-3, 1-0
Bowling Green
2-9, 0-1
Golden Flashes Open MAC Play with 8-1 Win Over Bowling Green
3/6/2026 5:56:00 PM | Baseball
KENT, Ohio — The Kent State Golden Flashes kicked off Mid-American Conference play in dominant fashion on Friday, dispatching the Bowling Green Falcons 8-1 at Schoonover Stadium to improve to 10-3 overall and 1-0 in MAC play.
The Flashes trailed briefly after Bowling Green's Vinny Salvione led off the fourth inning with a solo home run down the left field line, but Kent State answered emphatically, rattling off eight unanswered runs over the final 3.5 innings to pull away for the comfortable victory.
The offensive explosion was fueled by a pair of three-run home runs that turned a one-run deficit into a commanding lead. Kolton Schaller got things started in the sixth, parking a shot to right center that scored Sawyer Solitaria and Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe to put the Flashes ahead 3-1. Solitaria returned the favor in the seventh, going deep to left center to plate Luke Matthews and Hunter Klotz and extend the lead to 6-1. Schaller finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Solitaria went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, and three RBI of his own.
Klotz continued his strong day at the plate in the eighth, lining a two-run single to left center to score Ripken Reese and Alejandro Covas and cap the scoring at 8-1. Klotz finished 2-for-4 with two RBI on the afternoon. Covas also had a strong showing, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base.
On the mound, Ciaran Caughey was nothing short of outstanding in his seven innings of work, allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out nine batters to earn his second win of the season. Caughey retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced after the Salvione home run, keeping Bowling Green completely off balance throughout. Brody Krzysiak closed things out with two clean innings of relief, striking out two to preserve the win.
The Flashes finished with 11 hits on the day and held Bowling Green to just four, with the Falcons' lineup managing only a Salvione home run and three scattered singles against Kent State's pitching staff.
The Flashes and Falcons are scheduled to return to action tomorrow, Saturday, March 7, at 3 p.m. at Schoonover Stadium.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Caughey, Ciaran (2-0)
L: Jacob Turner (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Anthony Mitta 1
HR: Vinny Salvione 1
RBI: Vinny Salvione 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vinny Salvione 1
SB: Pauly Mancino 1
CS: Sam Seidel 1 ; Zack Horky 1
HBP: Brady Birchmeier 2
Batting:
2B: Solitaria, Sawyer 1
HR: Solitaria, Sawyer 1 ; Schaller, Kolton 1
RBI: Solitaria, Sawyer 3 ; Schaller, Kolton 3 ; Klotz, Hunter 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Matthews, Luke 1 ; Solitaria, Sawyer 2 ; Rienstra-Kiracofe, Micah 1 ; Schaller, Kolton 1 ; Reese, Ripken 1 ; Covas, Alejandro 1 ; Klotz, Hunter 1
SB: Schaller, Kolton 1 ; Covas, Alejandro 1
