Baseball

Kent State, Central Michigan Fly the Flag Over B1G 10 Opponents

Wednesday’s Baseball Results
Kent State 8, Ohio State 3
Central Michigan 6, Michigan State 5
Toledo 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Bowling Green 17, Youngstown State 5
Stories Courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments

Kent State 8, Ohio State 3
Box Score
COLUMBUS- The Kent State Golden Flashes baseball team extend their win streak to 12 straight with a massive 8-3 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Flashes fly the flag for the first time in the 2025 season.

The Flashes got on the board early in the first inning. Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe opened the game with a walk and Hayden Jatczak drove him in just a few pitches later with a two-run homer over the wall in left centerfield.

The Buckeyes would cut the lead down to one with an RBI single in the top of the second, but Kent State's starting pitcher, Ciaran Caughey, limited the damage right there leaving the bases loaded. Jatcak would answer right back in the top of the third with an RBI double hit into the gap in right centerfield.

The two teams would exchange runs in the fourth innings with Alejandro Covas bringing home Hunter Klotz in the top half and Ohio State scoring in the bottom half on an error by the Flashes.

Kent State would get two more runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI ground out by Sawyer Solitaria and an RBI single by Klotz.

Solitaria would drive in two more runs in the sixth inning on a beautiful piece of hitting to slice a double up the right field line. Ohio State would get one back in the bottom half but once again the Kent State pitching staff would limit the damage. This time Benny Roebuck would induce an inning ending 4-6-3 double play.

Caughey got the start on the mound for the Flashes going the first three innings allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out two. Evan Holewinski would follow up Caughey with 2.1 innings allowing one run (not earned) on one hit while striking out two. Roebuck pitched 1.2 shutout innings allowing just one hit and striking out two Buckeyes.  Ben Rabatin pitched 1.1 innings recording one strikeout. Peyton Cariaco would face just one batter and induce a 3-6-1 double play to end the game.

Central Michigan 6, Michigan State 5
Box Score
EAST LANSING, Mich. –Cayden Smith hit a three-run homer and Central Michigan pitching allowed just one run on three hits over the final eight innings on Wednesday as the Chippewas posted a 6-5 non conference baseball victory over Michigan State at MSU's McLane Stadium.

The Chippewas, who were swept last weekend by Kent State in a Mid-American Conference series, improved to 12-21.

CMU, which is 5-7 in league play, opens a three-game MAC series at Akron (9-23, 3-12) on Friday.

Michigan State (17-14) scored four runs – three unearned -- on two hits, a walk, and two CMU errors in the first inning.

CMU began its comeback on Smith's homer, his third of the season, in the third inning, to cut MSU's lead to 4-3. It came with two outs, and it was just CMU's second hit of the game. It broke a seven-game team homerless skid.

The Chippewas, who outhit the Spartans, 10-5, added single runs in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings for their sixth win in the last seven meetings with the Spartans.

CMU's Zach Knowlton had an RBI double in the fourth to tie the game, 4-4.

After the Spartans went back in front 5-4, with a solo homer in the bottom half of the frame, the Chippewas re-tied it in the sixth when Mikey Murphy singled, moved to second on a bunt, and scored on an error.

Pinch hitter Cole Kwiatkowski reached on a fielder's choice in the seventh, stole second, and scored on Brady Krzciok's two-out single.

Nate Ross (1-2), the first Chippewa reliever, pitched the sixth inning and earned the win. Jack Otis worked the seventh, Justin Morgan pitched the eighth, and Liam Stumpf pitched a perfect ninth for his first save.

The quartet of relievers combined to surrender just one hit, walk one, and struck out five.

Chippewas starter Hayden Bailey survived the rocky first inning and went five frames, allowing five runs on four hits. He struck out two.

Toledo 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo baseball team put together nine consecutive runs in a 9-4 midweek victory against Purdue Fort Wayne at Scott Park on Wednesday.
 
After falling behind 3-0, the Rockets (11-20) rallied to tie the game in the fourth inning and scored four times in the sixth to take the lead for good. Toledo swept the season series against the Mastodons (6-24), outscoring them 21-9 across two matchups. The Rockets won at Purdue Fort Wayne, 12-5, on March 25.

How It Happened
  • Purdue Fort Wayne took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third with two RBI doubles and an RBI single.
  • The Rockets got on the board in the bottom of the third on a wild pitch.
  • Toledo tied the game in the third on a PFW throwing error and an RBI groundout.
  • The Rockets scored four times in the seventh for a 7-3 lead on a Caden Konczak RBI double, a Troy Sudbrook two-run home run and a Mastodon throwing error.
  • UT tacked on two more runs in the eighth on a Tre Mariano RBI double and a Cole Cahill sacrifice fly.

Bowling Green 17, Youngstown State 5
Box Score
NILES, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team tallied a run-rule victory over Youngstown State on Wednesday (April 9) with a 17-5 final in seven innings. In doing so, Bowling Green broke the program record for hit-by-pitch in a game as a team. Six different Falcons were hit by a pitch in the game, totaling eight HBPs over the course of the contest. The free trips to first were complimented by two doubles from Carter Mottice, one from Brayden Curlis and one from Sam Seidel. Seidel added a home run, as did Cooper McKenzie, for the 17-5 victory. The Orange and Brown move to 22-9 on the season while being 16-5 when playing on the road. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • TJ Takats drew a seven-pitch walk to begin the game and stole second. With one on, Sam Seidel belted a two-run home run to right field, quickly putting the Falcons in front with a 2-0 lead before the first out of the game. 
  • Takats and Seidel went to work again in the third inning. Takats earned first by being hit by a pitch. Seidel followed with a double down the left field line, bringing Takats around from first for a 3-0 advantage with the first three BGSU RBI being attributed to Seidel.
  • The Falcons kept it going in the third. Garrett Wright reached on an error and Seidel stole third to put runners at the corners. A walk to Cooper McKenzie loaded the bases, setting up an RBI single by Zack Horky to center, moving each runner up a base with Seidel scoring. 
  • Gunner Antillon was able to draw a walk in the next at-bat, continuing the station-to-station progress with Wright scoring. Carter Mottice stepped in and delivered his first collegiate hit, a two-RBI double to left, scoring Horky and McKenzie to push the lead to 7-0.
  • Brayden Curlis ripped a liner to shortstop for a base hit, again loading the bases. Takats stepped in, batting around in the inning, and put a ball in play that was enough to score Antillon for an 8-0 tally. 
  • Seidel walked to load the bases back up before a pitching change for the Penguins. On the first pitch from the new arm, Wright was hit for the second time through three innings to force home Mottice for a 9-0 BGSU lead.
  • In the fourth inning, Horky walked and Antillon singled to put two on. Mottice drilled his second double of the game, scoring Horky. A wild pitch then brought home Antillon and a single from Curlis scored Mottice for a 12-0 Falcon lead and a YSU pitching change.
  • With Curlis still on, both Takats and Seidel were hit by pitches to load the bases. Wright lifted a sacrifice fly into center, scoring Curlis for a 13-0 score. 
  • Gavin Ganun drew a walk to load the bases and prompt another Youngstown State pitching change. After the adjustment on the mound, McKenzie drew another walk to force home Takats for a 14-0 tally.
  • Youngstown State broke the shutout in the bottom of the sixth with five runs for a 14-5 score through six innings.
  • McKenzie quickly brought the Bowling Green answer, crushing a solo shot to left field for a 15-5 advantage. 
  • Brock Amelung was hit by a pitch and Mottice drew a walk before both scored on a Curlis double to left, increasing the lead to 17-5.