The top six teams in the Mid-American Conference have set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. The top three of which have arguably placed themselves in their own tier, as Kent State baseball further cemented itself in the latter tier with its second straight series win over a top-six opponent in the conference – this time on the road against Western Michigan.

The Flashes and the Broncos matched up in a tense series that saw the Flashes take a highly stressful victory in game one of the series.

Redshirt sophomore Easton Tumis earned his first Friday start of the season after a strong outing vs Ball State. For six innings, Tumis showed why they made the switch. He pitched well, allowing just a run in the first six innings with three strikeouts. 

KSU took the lead on a three-run bomb from redshirt junior Ripken Reese in the fifth. 

Trouble brewed for the Flashes in the seventh when the first two batters reached base for Western Michigan, knocking Tumis out of the game. The best hitter in the nation, WMU junior Tanner Mally made KSU pay with a double that cut the lead to one. The second error of the inning from the Flashes allowed WMU to break things open and take a 4-3 lead.

A Western Michigan error allowed KSU to tie the game in the eighth inning, but the chaos was just starting.

With the game tied in crunch time in the ninth, things got chaotic. Reese gave the Flashes the lead with a sacrifice that drove in graduate student Hunter Klotz. Sophomore outfielder Sawyer Solitaria then broke things open with a two-run shot.

However, WMU refused to go away. With two outs they rallied for three runs, the big blow being a two-run single from graduate student Michael Maloney that tied things up.

In extra innings, graduate Caden Leonard stepped up on the mound. Leonard pitched three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out the side in the 11th inning. 

Scoring would not occur until the lucky thirteenth inning, when senior catcher Brody Williams hit a go-ahead sac fly that scored sophomore Brady Marshall. Junior Brody Krzysiak retired WMU in the bottom half to escape with a marathon 8-7 win.

After the emotional win on Friday, the offense for KSU continued to hit in Saturday’s game. This time it was from the get-go, as redshirt freshman Nolan Belcher singled back up the middle to put the Flashes on top.

In the second inning, KSU blew things open with a four-spot. The middle of the order provided the offense, with Reese and Solitaria having RBI singles before Williams continued his hot stretch of play with a two-run double. 

A double from Reese made it 6-0, and Belcher then homered to make it 7-0. Singles from Klotz and Marshall made it 9-0 and put the game comfortably in hand.

On the mound, Flashes’ senior Ciaran Caughey made the Saturday start and had a much-needed bounce-back after his implosion in the fifth inning last weekend against Ball State. In six innings of work, he allowed just three hits and walked one batter. Caughey allowed no runs against the Cardinals.

Redshirt senior Nick Guidas allowed the only run of the day in his second inning of work, when Mally singled in a run to right field. Senior Jordan Kolenda closed out the Broncos to earn a series victory.

Sunday saw the Flashes fall when attempting a sweep for the first time this season, but it was not without a fight after self-inflicted wounds put the Flashes behind.

This was evident from the first inning when an error from senior shortstop Luke Matthews put the Broncos in a position to grab a 1-0 lead. The Flashes were able to respond with their first and third play, this time executed by Williams and sophomore Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe.

In the third, Maloney gave the Broncos the lead back on a ground before Matthews’ second error of the game made it 3-1. Maloney then drove in his second run of the game in the fourth to make it 4-1.

In the fifth, Matthews made up for his previous mistakes by doubling in junior left fielder Alejandro Covas to edge the Flashes closer. Still, the Flashes could not get much on WMU graduate student starter Ricky Kidd, who pitched eight innings, allowing just two runs on seven hits with heavy contact.

Fifth-year closer Turner Doran came into the game to earn the save, but not before Williams wrapped his weekend with a solo home run that made it a 4-3 final.

On Deck

Up next for KSU is its biggest opportunity at a win in a non-conference game as they head to Pittsburgh for a matchup against the Panthers of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Panthers come in playing red-hot baseball with a perfect 4-0 week against ranked competition, including a 23-1 win over rival No. 12 West Virginia and a sweep over No. 10 Virginia at home.

The game is huge for the Flashes as it provides a chance for a quadrant one victory. Pitt currently sits at 45 in the RPI rankings with KSU at 55, seven spots below fellow conference leader Miami (OH) at 48.

First pitch is set for Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Stone O’Bryant is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].