BOWLING GREEN - Ben Cruikshank and Mitchell Scott combined for a six-hit shutout and an Aidan Longwell fourth inning single was all that was needed in a 1-0 win on Friday afternoon.

Cruikshank went 6.1 shutout innings allowing five hits and four walks while striking out six in the victory. Mitchell Scott earned his fourth save, going the final 2.2 innings of one-hit, shutout baseball.

The Flashes were limited to two hits and four walks against the combo of Gage Shenk and Connar Penrod, but it proved to be enough on Friday. In the fourth inning, the Flashes took advantage of an error that pushed Collin Mathews to second base. Longwell then punched a two-out single through the right side for his league-leading 42nd run batted in, plating Mathews for the lone run of the game. 

Both teams side-stepped some trouble in the pitcher's duel. Cruikshank got out of a bases loaded jam in the first, getting a ground out to third to end the threat. The Flashes left the bases loaded in the sixth and Cruikshank got out of the final jam of the day in the bottom of the inning, leaving two on with an inning-ending strike out.

The victory moves Kent State to 19-10 overall and 7-3 in MAC play while Bowling Green is 11-15 on the season and 6-7 against the MAC. The two teams will run it back tomorrow afternoon with a 1 p.m. first pitch.

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Ohio baseball team (13-15, 11-4 MAC) claimed the lead in the third inning and didn't look back, sweeping the Toledo Rockets (14-16, 6-9 MAC) with a 5-2 victory Scott Park Baseball Complex this afternoon.

Individually, fifth year Will Sturek (Minnetonka, Minn.) went 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored while junior Alec Patino (Sioux City, Iowa) went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Redshirt sophomore Nick Dolan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) recorded the only extra-base hit of the day for the Bobcats, finishing the day with a double and two runs scored. Junior Cole Williams (Charlotte, N.C.) went 2-for-4.

On the mound, junior Trent Spoon (Bourbonnais, Ill.) got the start, facing 23 batters in six complete innings. He gave up two hits while striking out three. Sophomores Hudson Boncal (Corona, Calif.) and Dylan Masters (New Albany, Ohio) as well as fifth year Braxton Kelly (Ulysses, Ky.) split the final three innings and successfully maintained Ohio's three-run lead. 
Toledo struck first, scoring the first run of the game off a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first. The Bobcats answered quickly, tying the game on a wild pitch the next inning. Sturek put Ohio ahead in the third with an RBI single to left field, driving in Dolan to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead. 

After a scoreless fourth, junior Alec Patino extended Ohio's lead with a two-run homer in the fifth, leaving the Rockets trailing by three runs. In the seventh, fifth year Mason Minzey (Grand Blanc, Mich.) flied out to right field, allowing redshirt sophomore AJ Rausch (Powell, Ohio) to tag up and score Ohio's fifth and final run of the game. 

The Rockets attempted to rally in the bottom of the inning, driving in one run with a pair of singles, but ultimately stranded three runners after Boncal drew a fly out to end the inning. 

Masters and Kelly shut out Toledo in the remaining two innings, facing a combined six batters to secure Ohio's 5-2 victory over the Rockets. 

Up next, the Bobcats return to Athens for a midweek matchup with the Marshall Herd on Tuesday, April 11. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Bob Wren Stadium. 

YPSILANTI, Mich. — The Miami University baseball team took the first game of three against Eastern Michigan with a final score of 6-4 Friday. The RedHawks improve to 8-23, 5-8 MAC with the win over the Eagles (12-14, 4-9 MAC).

The RedHawks got on the board quickly, scoring two in the first. The Eagles kept it close through the game, taking the lead in the third. Miami regained the advantage in the seventh and never looked back. 
 

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Jackson Kitchen and Cade Sullivan combined to drive in nine runs to help Western Michigan claim a 14-5 series-opening victory over Akron on Friday afternoon.
 
Sullivan delivered three hits and a team-high five RBIs for the afternoon. Kitchen reached in all five of his plate appearances, collecting three walks, a double and his first home run as a Bronco. He also picked up a career-high four RBIs.
 
Freshman Grady Mee had a career-high three hits, launched his first collegiate homer and scored three times. Will Morrison got on base four times and also came around to score three runs for WMU.
 
The offensive onslaught was more than plenty for Brady Miller, who turned in his third quality start in conference play. The right-hander limited the Zips to two runs on five hits over his six innings and struck out 10 for the second consecutive start to match his career high.
 
Kitchen got Western Michigan on the board first with a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the second. After the next two Broncos reached to load the bases, Sullivan delivered his first two RBIs of the afternoon with a single. Gavin Doyle followed up with a run-scoring knock of his own to make it 5-0.
 
WMU added five more in the third, with the first run of the frame scoring on an Akron error. Kitchen followed up with a line drive homer, a two-run shot, down the right field line. Sullivan added to his tally with a run-scoring double, and then came around to score on another miscue by the visitors.
 
After the Zips notched their first run of the afternoon in the top of the fourth, Western Michigan responded with three in the home half. Morrison brought Mee home with a ground ball right back up the middle, and Sullivan picked up his fourth and fifth RBIs of the contest with a base hit to right field.
 
With the score 13-5 in favor of Western Michigan in the bottom of the eighth, Mee launched his first career home run to right field to put a bow on the WMU victory.
 
The Broncos and Zips continue their three-game weekend series on Saturday afternoon at Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field. There will be a pregame Easter Egg Hunt beginning at 12:30 pm, leading up to first pitch at 1:05 pm. The first 50 children in attendance will receive a custom WMU bag to collect eggs.   

DEKALB, Ill.—Adam Mrakitsch allowed just one hit and struck out nine batters in pitching seven innings and Central Michigan's offense generated seven runs on 14 hits as Central Michigan Baseball claimed a 7-0 shutout victory at Northern Illinois Friday evening at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park.
 
Central Michigan (16-12, 7-4 MAC) plays game two of the three-game series Saturday at 2 p.m. Game three is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday. NIU is 5-23, 2-8.
 
Four Central Michigan pitchers allowed just two hits and four walks in Friday's series opener . Mrakitsch allowed just four baserunners as he walked three and yielded one hit in facing 25 batters over seven innings. Michael Conte (2/3 of an inning), Ryan Palmblad (1/3) and Ryan Insco (one) finished the game.
 
Luke Sefcik and Christian Mitchelle finished with three hits apiece, Garrett Navarra and Cole Prout both added two, and Nick Dardas drove in two runs.
 
Central Michigan took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Navarra drove in Jacob Donahue on a single to right center. The Chippewas went up 2-0 in the second when Prout's double to left center field drove in Mitchelle.
 
CMU held its lead until the eighth inning when it scored two runs to go up 4-0. Dardas' single to left field drove in the first run and Marquis Jackson drew a bases-loaded walk for the second run of the frame.
 
The Chippewas put the game away with three runs in the ninth inning.
 
Dominic Hahn took the loss after allowing two runs on six hits over four innings .

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Ball State baseball team returned to the diamond for a doubleheader with The Citadel on Friday. Blake Bevis launched two home runs as the Cardinals and the Bulldogs split the doubleheader.  
 
With the split, Ball State moved to 23-8 on the year, while The Citadel is now 15-16 on the season. Decker Scheffler extended his hitting streak to 15 games in game one but was snapped in game two.
 
Game One – Ball State 9, The Citadel 8
 
Bevis put the Cardinals on top with a solo home run over the scoreboard in left field in the top of the second.
 
The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead after a two-run second inning powered by three hits.
 
Peltier led off the top of the third with a double to left center. Decker Scheffler recorded a fly out to right field, but Peltier tagged up and moved to third. Logan Flood belted a double to left center and drove in Peltier. Casey Turturici traded places with Flood with an RBI double off the right field wall. Bevis notched an RBI double down the left field line and plated Turturici. The Cardinals took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the third.
 
In the bottom of the third, the Citadel scored two runs, on three hits, and tied the game at 4-4 after three innings in the books. The Bulldogs added two runs, on two hits, and one Cardinal error, and took a 6-4 lead into the fifth inning. The Citadel extended its lead with one run on no hits in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Bevis led off the top of the sixth with a solo blast over the left field wall. Gregory battled and drew a seven-pitch walk with one out. Adam Tellier doubled down the left field line and scored Gregory. Scheffler recorded an RBI single through the right side that scored Tellier from second. The Cardinals tied the game at 7-7, as the game went to the home half of the sixth.  
 
Justin Conant led off the top of the eight with a five-pitch walk. Gregory dropped down a sac bunt and moved Conant to second. Tellier reached on a fielder's choice as the shortstop made a throwing error that scored Conant. Peltier was intentionally walked. Scheffler recorded a sac fly to deep center as Tellier tagged up from second and turned on the jets to score from second. The Cardinals took a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the eighth.

The Bulldogs did not go down quietly as they scored one run on two hits and stranded a runner on base. The Cardinals held on to take game one, 9-8.

Bevis had a phenomenal game at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance with two home runs and a double. Tellier and Peltier each finished the game with two hits. 

Trennor O'Donnell got the start for the Cardinals and went 3 1/3 innings. He had two strikeouts and surrendered six runs, four earned. Brady Owens went 2/3 of an inning with one strikeout. He gave up one earned run on no hit. Owen Quinn went 2 1/3 innings of relief and surrendered just one hit. Logan Schulfer got the win with 1 2/3 innings. He struck out one batter and surrendered one earned run on two hits. He improved to 2-0 on the year.
 
Ben Hutchins got the nod on the mound for The Citadel. He went three innings and had three strikeouts. He gave up four earned runs on eight hits. Connor Cummiskey went 2 1/3 innings in relief with four strikeouts. He surrendered three earned runs on two hits. Will Holmes picked up the loss and fell to 2-1 on the season. He had four strikeouts and surrendered two unearned runs.
 
Game Two – The Citadel 4, Ball State 0
 
The Citadel jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on two hits. The Bulldogs added another run in the bottom of the fourth on three hits. The Citadel scored a run in the bottom of the fifth on one hit. The Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead into the top of the sixth. The Citadel extended its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth on one hit.
 
Ty Johnson got the start for the Cardinals. He went three innings and had five strikeouts. He surrendered one unearned run on two hits. He got the loss and fell to 3-2 on the season. Will Jacobson went three innings with one strikeout. He gave up three earned runs on five hits.
 
Cameron Reeves tossed a gem on the mound for the Bulldogs. He threw a complete game with seven innings and struck out eight batters. Reeves improved to 5-1 on the season.
 
The Cardinals and Bulldogs return to Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park on Saturday for the final game of the series. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.