The Kent State baseball team scored nine or more runs in each game of its three-game series against Eastern Michigan, but the Flashes took only two of the three games against the Mid-American Conference opponent.

The team turned it around after only taking one of three against Western Michigan in the previous series, and coach Jeff Duncan was pleased to see more MAC wins for the Flashes.

“We need to win, and especially at home, but we need to do a better job on the road,” Duncan said. “We have Pitt on Tuesday, and then we go to Toledo who’s playing well too. They’re similar to Eastern [Michigan], and we’re on the road. We need to do what we do here and take that on the road. That’d be really important for us, but I do like where our offense is going. We want to continue to build on that.”

After the series, the team is 14-15 and has a 7-5 MAC record. The Flashes are fourth in the conference.

Game one (Friday, April 5)

Kent State got to Eastern Michigan early in game one, as the team scored 11 runs in the first four innings.

In the first inning, a trio of RBI singles by senior shortstop Kyle Jackson, redshirt senior center fielder Josh Johnson and junior second baseman Aiden Hinds (who scored two runs) brought in four runs.

After taking an offensive break in the second inning, the Flashes got back to work with freshman designated hitter Dom Kibler’s two-run home run in the third inning to give KSU a 6-0 lead.

The foot was still on the pedal going into the fourth inning, as Johnson started the scoring with a two-RBI single.

Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Kibler added to his RBI total with a walk to bring in a run, keeping the bases loaded.

A fielder’s choice and an error brought in two more Kent State runs, giving KSU an 11-0 lead.

Eastern Michigan got on the board with a couple of RBI singles and a sacrifice fly, which was all redshirt junior starting pitcher Calvin Bickerstaff would allow for his day on the bump.

Despite all the scoring from Kent State, Bickerstaff allowed just three earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out four through five innings.

The Eagles still were not done, and added two more runs in the top of the seventh.

A Jackson two-run shot, paired with an RBI double down the right field line by junior right fielder Jake Casey, gave KSU both runs back with an extra one.

A two-run home run in the top of the eighth was the last time EMU would score, but KSU was not done.

Jackson continued his tear with a two-RBI single, giving him five RBIs on the day.

Redshirt junior Lance Macdonald homered in his only plate appearance of the game, a three-run blast that was his second home run of the season.

The scoring was capped off with a Casey solo shot, his team-leading eighth home run of the season.

The Casey home run was the last run scored, and the team shut the door in the ninth inning, finalizing the 20-7 score for game one.

Bickerstaff got the win for his efforts, improving his record to 3-2 on the season.

KSU used three relief pitchers after Bickerstaff’s exit, combining for two earned runs (four total), six hits, three walks, three strikeouts and a wild pitch.

Game one marked the third time this season that Kent State has scored 20 or more runs against an opponent.

“We’re gearing up for the second half, and we’ve been really working hard in practice, trying to tighten up our approach as an offense,” Duncan said. “This weekend was a really good start to that, and we’re hoping that it will trend and continue to trend. 

The big thing is that we’ve walked more and struck out less—that’s the big thing: moving the baseball. We have to be able to move the baseball around the field, and we did a really good job of that this weekend.”

Every KSU batter reached base in some capacity Friday.

Game two (Saturday, April 6)

By the end of the top of the second inning, the Flashes were down 8-0.

Junior starting pitcher Jack Kartsonas got rocked early into the game. He used a lot of pitches, as a majority of his runs came from RBI singles, along with an error and a wild pitch.

He pitched just 1.2 innings, allowing eight runs (five earned), six hits, two walks, and one wild pitch. He struck out three batters in his short time out.

KSU was able to cut a chunk out of the lead in its half of the second inning – by five runs.

Senior first baseman Tim Orr got the rally started with a two-RBI double with the bases loaded, and Jackson followed suit with a two-RBI double of his own, bringing in four total runs.

Johnson added a sacrifice fly, keeping the Flashes in striking distance from the Eagles.

In the third, it got closer with Kibler’s fourth home run of the season, a solo home run, cutting the deficit to two. That deficit would be doubled in the top of the fourth on an EMU two-run home run, making the score 10-6.

The KSU bullpen kept EMU off the scoreboard for three innings, but Kent State also was off the scoreboard for those three innings.

In the eighth, both teams scored, but KSU was inching closer to a deadlock.

EMU put up two with a couple of singles, but home runs from redshirt freshman catcher Ripkin Reese (solo home run – second of season) and Johnson (three-run home run – fifth of season) made it a two-run game.

The pitching got it done in the top of the ninth inning, and the Flashes had a chance for a tie or a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth.

Orr scored his third RBI of the game on an RBI single, and Johnson scored the game-tying RBI on a sacrifice fly.

The game was tied 12-12, and the Flashes would play in their first extra-innings game this season.

No runs were scored in the 10th inning, but in the 11th, EMU would strike with an RBI single that KSU could not match.

EMU took game two in heartbreaking fashion, 13-12.

Duncan said the eight-run comeback was a “really good team effort.”

“We had pretty tough at-bats and passed the torch to the next man – just good team stuff,” he said.  “We were down 8-0 early, then we kind of climbed back in there to the middle, and then we tied the ballgame late. It’s a tough game to lose.

“Yesterday, they had to really beat us, and they did, and you got to tip your cap to them. That’s a good club, and obviously, this had big implications in our league. They came in here six and three in the conference. They’ve done some really good things in the league and for us to take two or three, I’m happy.”

Despite Kartsonas’ early beating, the loss went to junior reliever Peyton Cariaco (1-1).

Cariaco was one of five KSU relief pitchers who combined for four earned runs (five total), nine hits, six walks, and eight strikeouts in 9.1 innings of work.

KSU lost its second game at home this season – the team only lost three games at home for the whole 2023 season.

Game three (Sunday, April 7)

Looking to take two of three, the Flashes went to left-handed junior starting pitcher Eric Chalus.

Chalus pitched a gem in the final game of the series, as he pitched for 6.2 innings with five strikeouts and allowed four hits, three walks, and one earned run.

“My approach today was to get ahead early,” Chalus said. “For the most part, that didn’t happen—I got behind a lot, but I just had a clear mind and kept throwing the changeup. The changeup was my best pitch today. My main focus was to keep the ball low today and not give it up, and when I did, they hit it.”

By the time Chalus left Sunday’s game, the Flashes were up 9-1.

“It takes a lot of pressure off when you can build a lead like that early on,” Duncan said. “I felt like we could have still hit a lot of balls hard. They did a good job defending, and we kept moving the baseball.”

The offensive outburst was much appreciated by Chalus.

“It makes my job a lot easier, and they have done a great job all year,” he said. “They do their job, the defense will do their job, and we get wins like this.” 

The team got to EMU early once again by putting up three runs in the first inning.

The game’s scoring was started by Eastern Michigan’s pitcher, who allowed Johnson to score on a wild pitch.

Sophomore catcher Brody Williams brought in two more runs on his two-RBI double, making the score 3-0.

In the next inning, Jackson continued to produce this series by plating an additional run on a triple, his third triple of the season, which leads the team.

The Flashes scored four more in the third, as the team scored in all three of the first three innings of the game.

Kibler had an RBI single in the inning, and junior first baseman Hunter Klotz hit his third home run of the season, a three-run shot, making the score 8-0.

“Brody Williams and Hunter Klotz, two guys that have played a ton here recently, were big fixtures in our lineup today,” Duncan said. “They really ignited us today and then all weekend. Michael McNamara had some really good at-bats as well. The whole balance in our lineup was good from top to bottom all weekend, and that’s what we haven’t had all year. Hopefully, we can build on that moving forward.”

EMU finally scored on a fielder’s choice run in the fifth inning, but KSU responded with another solo home run, this time from senior third baseman Michael McNamara, his fourth of the season.

KSU’s pitching held up until the eighth inning when EMU did some more damage with an RBI single. Both teams were kept silent offensively after that, and KSU came out with the game and series win in a 9-2 victory.

Chalus got the win, and redshirt sophomore reliever Rocco Bernadina backed up his elite performance.

“Today, it was important for us to get a quality start, and we got that,” Duncan said. “He was tremendous. It was really good to see him mix the fastball, slider, curveball, changeup in the zone and getting ahead of hitters for the most part.  He had to work out of a jam, but all in all, he was as sharp as can be, especially against a good offense. We got two quality starts out of Bickerstaff and Chalus; we need that third quality start moving forward.”

Chalus bounced back from his last start, which was a loss in a 7-5 defeat by Western Michigan.

“[I used] more self positive talk in my head and keeping it just one pitch at a time,” he said. “It’s one pitch at a time, and you’re gonna have a lot of success.” 

Bernadina allowed one run (zero earned runs), three hits, and one walk with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings.

The Flashes won their fourth series this season, and eight starters scored a run in the game.

Looking ahead

KSU outscored Eastern Michigan 41-22 during the weekend series.

Jackson was a crucial part of the run disparity over the three-game stretch, as he went 7-15 with two doubles, one triple and one home run on his way to tallying eight RBIs in the series.

“He’s a warrior,” Duncan said. “He’s a guy who can carry. Offensively, he’s been really good. He’s been swinging really well, carrying us, in some cases, all the way back to Tiffin and that grand slam. Since that point on, he has been pretty consistent.”

Johnson’s effort in the series against EMU earned him a spot as the MAC’s Player of the Week.

The outfielder hit 5-11 with two home runs, a stolen base and nine RBIs.

KSU took two of three from the Eagles and improved its record against MAC opponents, and the locker room is in high spirits about the wins.

“What we think is we’re one of the better teams still,” Chalus said. “The record is not showing that much, but we’re still competing every single day, we’re competing in practice, and we have a good culture here.”

The Flashes will look to push their luck at home once again for a one-game series against Pittsburgh University.

The Panthers will come to town after taking the game at its own place earlier in the season.

Pitt defeated the Flashes 12-8 March 19, but KSU will look to reverse the trend Tuesday at Schoonover Stadium.

Pitt is 2-7 since its game against KSU, and the Panthers are 13-15 overall with a 3-12 conference record.

Graduate student pitcher Joe Miceli is scheduled to start the game. The Gardner-Webb transfer will come into the game with a 0-2 record with a 5.89 ERA. He has pitched 18.1 innings and has struck out 18 while walking 16 and has given up two home runs this season.

First pitch will be at 6 p.m.

“I haven’t really thought about it yet,” Duncan said. “We obviously played them a couple of weeks back, it was kind of an interesting game in itself – a really tight game. It’ll be a very competitive game. My mind has been on Eastern Michigan all weekend, so I’ll enjoy tonight and then get ready for Pitt tomorrow.”

John Hilber is assistant sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].