The Kent State baseball team entered a weekend series with a chance to earn its third consecutive sweep against a conference foe in a three-game slate against the Miami University RedHawks.
After winning Friday, the Flashes left Schoonover Stadium picking up their teeth after being knocked out 21-3 in a game where Miami took the lead and ran with it on Saturday.
Sunday saw the Flashes squander a 4-0 lead early to lose 8-5 and lose their first series of the season. Not only that, it marks KSU’s first series loss at home since losing two out of three to Northern Illinois to end the 2024 conference season.
Saturday
From the first batter redshirt sophomore Easton Tumis faced, it was clear it was going to be a long day against a Miami (OH) offense that was among the best in the conference despite losing four straight conference games.
Junior centerfielder Marcus Dierks doubled on the second pitch of the game before scoring on a single from the next batter, junior Ryan Novak. The next two batters doubled to make it 3-0. Redshirt freshman shortstop Ignacio Gonzalez then clobbered a home run after a few borderline pitches went against Tumis to make it 5-0.
Redshirt junior Ripken Reese started what would be a short-lived rally attempt when he pulled a fastball over the right-center wall to make it 5-1.
Novak then took firm control with a knockout jack that towered over the light pole and made it 7-1. Tumis day was done after recording just four outs. Redshirt junior Gavin Jones then came in relief and quieted things down.
Senior shortstop Luke Matthews then hit a sacrifice fly to add a second run and continue what’s been a slow burn to break out of a slump.
That was the last run Kent would get until the sixth as Miami starter Clayton Burke settled in and locked down the Kent State lineup the rest of the way.
Miami’s offense only added a run in the third, but tallied three in the fourth. Back-to-back singles and two walks brought in the first run. Gonzalez brought in another RBI with a sac fly. Senior Dominic Krupinski then doubled and made it 11-2.
The fifth inning was the only inning in which Kent State held Miami scoreless. Redshirt junior Alex Alberico came in, allowing the first two batters he faced to reach base before getting a fly out and inducing a twin killer to eliminate the threat.
KSU then went down quietly in the bottom half before the RedHawks put the game in run-rule territory with no signs of slowing down in the next two innings.
Freshman Diego Cruz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth, which stood after review and sent head coach Jeff Duncan into anger. He got his money’s worth and unleashed the frustration a day like today brought to home plate umpire Michael Schultz. Duncan was tossed from the game.
However, Miami was not done unloading its frustration from a four-game losing streak. The RedHawks added another run in the sixth to make it 13-2.
Sophomore Brady Marshall singled in a run, but that was the last run the Flashes would score.
Miami then turned this game into a football score with a touchdown and two-point conversion to make it 21-3. 11 batters came to the plate, and by this point a clearly defeated Flashes defense began making errors.
The RedHawks made the Flashes pay first with back-to-back bases-loaded walks, but then flexed the power one last time with run-scoring doubles from Novak and redshirt junior Tommy Harrison.
Cruz, who can only be described as Ichiro meets Garry Sheffield at the plate, joined the hit parade with an RBI single.
KSU then went quietly in the seventh with two weak pop-outs that barely left the infield.
Graduate first baseman Hunter Klotz was a bright spot in the drubbing as he went 2-2 with two doubles.
Sunday
After a scoreless first inning from starting pitcher redshirt sophomore Ben Rabatin, fellow redshirt sophomore Max Humphrey singled to lead off the game before coming around to score on a single from sophomore centerfielder Micah Kiracofe.
In the second inning, Humphrey added to the lead with a two-run single the other way that brought in junior outfielder Alejandro Covas and Marshall to give the Flashes a 3-0 lead.
Matthews and Humphrey then executed a first and third play to make it 4-0.
In the fourth inning, Miami got its first run off the bat of sophomore catcher Carson Raether, who launched a ball to right center and cut the lead to three.
Sophomore right fielder Sawyer Solitaria then singled to make it 5-1.
In the top of the fifth, senior outfielder Dominic Krupinski slapped an outside pitch down the left field fence for a two-run shot that pulled the RedHawks within two.
Offense then slowed to halt off the backs of KSU redshirt sophomore Evan Holewinski and Miami senior southpaw Carson Byers. Byers’ small frame and mid-80 mile per hour fastball shut down KSU, as he allowed just two hits in the final four innings of the game.
After Holewinski got out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, the Flashes failed to capitalize on either of the next two turns at bat with insurance runs.
Miami made KSU pay for it with more heroics from redshirt junior outfielder Tommy Harrison, who took a looping curveball from freshman Peyton William and hit where the defense wasn’t to tie the game.
In the tenth, junior center fielder Marcus Dierks hit a two-run single to put Miami up 7-5. After a walk put Miami up 8-5, Byers then sat down KSU to close out the series and win it for the RedHawks. The series win could be huge if tiebreakers come into play during conference tournament season.
On Deck
Things will not be any easier for the Flashes as D-III Baldwin Wallace comes to Schoonover Stadium on Tuesday.
The YellowJackets are currently ranked 25th in the D3baseball.com top 25 with a 12-3 record.
The game is scheduled for a 3 pm broadcast.
Stone O’Bryant is a sports reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
