After getting smacked around on Friday, the Kent State baseball team sat a second loss away from dropping its third series out of the last four and falling even further behind in tiebreakers for the Mid-American Conference. Two strong pitching performances and strong offensive performances from seniors Luke Matthews and Brody Williams led the Flashes to a critical series victory that allowed KSU to keep sole possession of first place.
Friday’s game had the beginning the Flashes wanted. After football head coach Mark Carney threw out the first pitch, senior Ciaran Caughey came out dealing getting a first-inning double play to dismiss the Cardinals. The momentum continued when redshirt freshman Nolan Belcher homered to left field to start the scoring.
The Flashes then added two more runs after a Ball State error in the outfield, before an error by redshirt junior Ripken Reese allowed the Cardinals to cut the lead to one.
The game was then flipped on its head in the bottom of the fourth inning after KSU attempted a two-out rally spearheaded by a two-out double from Matthews. After the bases were loaded, Reese was back-picked by junior catcher Max Kalk. After that, a rundown ensued and Matthews was tagged out at the plate.
The Cardinals then rode that momentum to come alive at the top of the fifth when junior outfielder Kenskey Thomas led off the inning with a single. Another single followed, and then junior outfielder Charlie Keller crushed a ball over the scoreboard to give Ball State a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Things went from bad to worse after two more singles knocked out Caughey. Three more hits and three more runs later, Ball State was firmly in control of the game.
KSU was unable to get anything going the rest of the game as Ball State starter senior Brendan Garza settled in and pitched eight innings. He ended up with five strikeouts and just the three runs allowed in those first two innings.
In the seventh, Ball State put the final nails in KSU’s coffin in the seventh inning with three more runs. Graduate student Ryan Muizelaar doubled to drive in a run and eventually came around to score. A bases-loaded walk tallied the final run.
KSU then went down relatively quietly to fall 11-3.
Needing a big-time bounce back, redshirt sophomore Easton Tumis needed to bring his A-game, not just to force a rubber match, but to get back to his form. He entered with an ERA over seven in conference games.
He twirled a gem, pitching to contact and keeping hitters off balance with a wipeout slider. He pitched until the sixth when he ran out of steam. The final line was five innings with just two hits allowed and a run that came in the sixth.
Tumis had a signature moment to end the fifth when he reared back and struck out sophomore Brayden Huebner on a fastball.
Fellow redshirt sophomore Evan Holewinski was the call Duncan made to enter the game. He allowed just one hit on the first pitch of the game; he threw a pitch that resulted in an RBI double.
Holewinski then settled in and flexed his signature changeup, which might be the best individual pitch any pitcher has in the conference. He sat down 12 batters in a row, including seven strikeouts to hold on to the win and earn the save.
Offensively, the Flashes slowly came alive. Williams and sophomore outfielder Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe combined for four hits with two apiece. Kiracofe picked up his 100th career hit in the winning effort.
The two started the scoring in the second inning when Kiracofe led off the second with a single back up the middle before senior Brody Williams attacked a pitch on the outer half and shot it off the scoreboard for a two-run homer that made it 2-0.
Matthews then joined the party by driving the two in during the fourth with a ground-rule double, the timely hit the Flashes desperately needed after Friday’s performance.
The Flashes then tacked on a run in the seventh after Reese hit into a fielder’s choice, and Matthews slid in safely at home.
Reese was also able to extend his hitting streak earlier in the game with a bizarre single, which shattered his metal bat.
To win Sunday’s game and the series, the Flashes turned to redshirt sophomore Ben Rabatin. He himself was looking to bounce back after walking five batters last week against Northern Illinois.
Similar to Tumis, he also used off-speed pitches to keep the Cardinals off balance. His sweeper was exceptionally strong, as the pitch drew a ton of swings and misses.
Despite his relative success, he fell prone to the home run ball. Keller launched his second home run of the series to put Ball State ahead.
KSU responded with five runs in the second. Belcher launched his second home run of the series to dead center field.
Sophomore infielder Brady Marshall then doubled in senior second baseman Grady Mee before a few wild pitches brought in the final two runs.
Williams then hit his second home run of the weekend to lead off the third inning.
Thomas responded with a home run on a hung sweeper to cut into the deficit.
Reese then made the hitting streak 17 games with a single that brought in Matthews. During his streak, he tied Solitaria with a .320 batting average.
Things got dicey for KSU in the sixth when Rabatin lost control, and redshirt junior Gavin Jones was thrust into action. Jones struggled to command his pitches, but Ball State continued to lack discipline and bounced into a double play on a pitch way inside.
Graduate student Caden Leonard then came in and got out of trouble, escaping with no runs allowed in what was a combined Houdini act.
In the seventh, KSU was not as lucky as Muizelaar doubled once again this time bringing in a run. Unfortunately for him, Muizelaar’s own baserunner mistake ended the inning when he was gunned down by Reese who was playing catcher after Williams caught the first two games.
Kiracofe tallied a sacrifice fly in the eighth that proved to be key as Ball State would get the tying run on deck after a double and wild pitches allowed a run to score. Freshman Peyton Williams came in and struck out the final two batters to earn the save and the series victory.
Losses from Miami (OH) and NIU on Sunday kept KSU in sole possession of first place.
On Deck
Kent State will stay at home to take on Mercyhurst on Wednesday evening. They will look to sweep the series for the second consecutive year after winning last week 14-2 on the road.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Stone O’Bryant is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
