The Kent State baseball team was swept by the Mercer Bears in a three-game series that took place from Friday to Sunday. This puts the team in a 1-5 hole in the standings, as the Flashes have now lost five in a row. 

The Mercer Bears were on a three-game winning streak heading into play with the Flashes, with wins against Milwaukee and Kennesaw State. The team is coming off a 29-29 finish from a year ago. 

Friday

Gavin Jones has really settled into his role as the ace of the Flashes, putting up another solid Friday afternoon start. Jones toed for five innings, giving up three runs, one of which unearned, on five hits while striking out four and walking three. 

The Bears scored the first runs of the game on a single from Mercer third baseman Brant Baughcum that brought home two in the bottom of the first. 

Junior infielder Luke Matthews kept building on his strong performance in last week’s series, where he pulled three RBIs into the diamond. He got the scoring going for KSU with an RBI double. Graduate student Hayden Jatczak, who also took home multiple RBIs last week, tied the game on a single that brought home Matthews. This concluded the scoring for the Flashes in the third inning. 

In the fourth, redshirt freshman Max Humphrey gave the Flashes a 3-2 lead with a double down the left field line. Humphrey, who had advanced to third on the throw in his at bat, was brought home on a single from Mid-American Conference preseason Freshman of the Year Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe to put Kent State up two runs. 

This seemingly woke up a sleeping giant in the Bears, who started their road to the lead in fourth with a Kai Decker solo home run, making it a 4-3 ball game. 

The sixth inning is really where the game turned upside down for the Flashes. With the bases loaded, the Flashes walked Parker Lester to tie the game. 

Ty Dalley then put the Bears over the top with a single hit out to left field, bringing home two for Mercer. Baughcum struck again, reaching on an error that brought home Lester to conclude the scoring in the sixth in a dominant inning for the Bears. 

Shortstop Bradley Frye brought home two more runs for Mercer in the seventh inning to make it a 9-4r ballgame.

Sophomore catcher Dom Kibler scored with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, but it only brought home one run as it was a walk. The Bears would claim the first game of the series by a score of 9-5. 

Benny Roebuck was handed the loss with Jess Ackerman getting the winning decision. Terry Busse was given his first save of the season. 

Saturday 

Senior left-handed pitcher  Eric Chalus opened up Saturday’s action in his second start of the season. Chalus gave up four runs, striking out five and walking one in three innings of work in the Flashes’ first loss of the season against South Alabama.

In similar fashion to game one, the Flashes took an early lead on a Jake Casey double to left-center that brought home Matthews. In the same inning, Baughcum  kept his bat hot on a sacrifice fly to tie the game. 

It seems that Chalus might not have seen the steam coming off the bat of Baughcum, as he threw a pitch to the third baseman that he took into left field to give the Bears a 3-1 lead. 

Junior catcher Brody Williams equaled Baughcum with a home run of his own. Williams’ solo shot would make it a one-run lead for Mercer. 

After a one-run single from Mercer, Casey would build on his strong start with a two-run home run to tie the game at four apiece. This homer was Casey’s fourth RBI on the year. 

It was in the fifth inning where the Flashes saw a pair of familiar faces give the lead back to the Bears. Dalley and Lester gained one more RBI each on a pair of singles, putting Mercer up 6-4.

In the top of seventh, it was Frye who likewise returned with another strong plate appearance that resulted in a one run single. The Flashes would score two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but it was too little too late, as the Bears would win the second game of the series 7-6. 

Sunday 

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jacob Bean made his second start of the season in the third and final game of the Flashes series against Mercer. He gave up five runs on five hits, striking out and walking three each. 

The Flashes would again play from in front, starting out with a two-run lead in the top of the third. Freshman Sawyer Solitaria, coming off a two-homer weekend, sent a double into left field. He was trailed by senior infielder Hunter Klotz, who singled to right to put KSU up two. 

Frye would once again burn the Flashes with his bat, doubling to bring home two Bears. Lester would also keep his bat hot, bringing home Dalley on a triple. 

Outfielder Michael Graziano would bring out the long ball to make it 5-3 Bears with a solo home run. In the bottom of the fourth, Frye would stay hot and tack on one more RBI. 

The Flashes would score two more times, but the Bears bullpen would hold true, as Mercer would take the final game by a score of 7-5. Bean was handed the losing decision. 

Moving forward

The Flashes are now at 1-5 on the year. They are currently tied for second-to-last place in the MAC. 

KSU was originally scheduled to play the Ohio State Buckeyes for the Flashes’ home opener on Tuesday, but the game has been postponed for a later date. 

The Flashes will look to snap a five-game losing streak Friday when they begin competition at the LeClair Classic in Greenville, North Carolina. KSU will take on East Carolina for the first of three games.

Gage Wellman is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected] or @GageWellmanKSTV.