Weekend MAC Baseball Results
Ohio at Miami
Ohio 7, Miami 6 (Box Score)
Miami 15, Ohio 5 (Box Score)
Miami 17, Ohio 6 (Box Score)

Akron at Ball State 
Ball State 13, Akron 8 (Box Score)
Ball State 3, Akron 2 (Box Score)
Akron 7, Ball State 6 (Box Score)

UMass at Eastern Michigan
UMass 4, Eastern Michigan 2 (Box Score)
UMass 10, Eastern Michigan 0 (Box Score)
UMass 19, Eastern Michigan 15 (Box Score)

Toledo at Western Michigan
Toledo 3, Western Michigan 2 (Box Score)
Western Michigan 8, Toledo 6 (Box Score)
Western Michigan 6, Toledo 3 (Box Score)

Kent State at Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois 12, Kent State 2 (Box Score)
Kent State 9, Northern Illinois 8 (Box Score)
Northern Illinois 5, Kent State 2 (Box Score)

Central Michigan at Bowling Green
Bowling Green 5, Central Michigan 4 (Box Score)
Central Michigan 5, Bowling Green 0 (Box Score)
Central Michigan 21, Bowling Green 13 (Box Score)

Ohio at Miami
Ohio 7, Miami 6 (Box Score)
OXFORD, Ohio – The Ohio baseball team (7-26, 4-12 MAC) earned a 7-6 win at rival Miami (20-12, 10-6 MAC) on Friday, April 10, taking game one of the 'Battle of the Bricks' series. 

Ohio recorded seven runs on eight hits and without committing an error, while Miami had six runs with nine hits and committed one error.  

On the mound, freshman Mason Gass (Oakdale, Pa.) got the win, allowing three runs on six hits in five innings pitched, striking out three. Senior Dillon Masters (New Albany, Ohio) got the save, pitching four innings, allowing three runs on three hits, walked three and struck out three. 

At the plate, junior Tyler Stack (Oswego, Ill.) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Redshirt freshman Grant Wilson (Bradenton, Fla.) went 1-for-3 at the plate, including a home run, three RBI and one run scored. Graduate student Colton Shirley (Anderson, Ind) finished with one run on one hit and recorded one RBI. Junior Taylor Harris (Parrish, Fla.) added a hit and an RBI, while fifth-year Will Henson (Chicago, Ill.) finished with one run on one hit. 

With two players getting on base, junior Cameron Boyd (Villa Hills, Ky.) reached on a fielder's choice then stole second. Stack hit a two-RBI single to right to drive in two runs. Wilson struck a two-run home run over the left field fence for a 4-0 Ohio lead entering the bottom of the first. 

Miami scored two runs in the bottom of the second, then added one run in the bottom of the third to cut into the deficit, 4-3. 

After a scoreless fourth and fifth innings, Stack opened the top of the sixth with a double to left, then raced home on a sacrifice fly for a 5-3 lead. The Bobcats extended their lead in the top of the seventh with an RBI single from Shirley for a 6-3 advantage. 

Ohio extended its lead with an RBI single in the top of the eighth, setting the score, 7-3. Miami responded with one run of their own in the bottom of the inning to get back within three. 

The RedHawks hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to get within one, but Masters struck out the final batter to secure the victory, 7-6.

Miami 15, Ohio 5 (Box Score)
OXFORD, Ohio – Miami defeated the Ohio Bobcats handily Saturday, winning 15-5 via the run rule after seven innings. Diego Cruz finished the day with four hits on five at bats, including a bases-clearing triple in the final inning. The RedHawks improve to 21-12 (11-6 MAC) with the win, while Ohio falls to 7-27 (4-13 MAC).

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Clayton Burke sent down the game's first three batters with nine pitches. In the bottom of the first, Marcus Dierks led off with a walk and Evan Appelwick tripled to score the game's first run. Appelwick came home on a groundout to make it a 2-0 advantage for Miami.
• After a scoreless second inning, Ohio tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the third after capitalizing on a hit and two errors. In the bottom of the inning, Appelwick led off with a double and scored on a sac fly by Ryan Novak to make it 3-2.
• The RedHawks scored four runs in the fourth inning. After two walks, Cruz cleared the bases with a bunt that led to a two-base error and later scored on a wild pitch. A single and a stolen bag by Dierks then set up Tommy Harrison for an RBI single to make the score 7-2.
• Burke had another one-two-three inning in the fifth to keep the lead.
• Miami had another four-spot in the bottom of the fifth that started with singles by Jamie Rasmussen and Cruz, as well as a walk by Dominic Krupinski. Two runs scored on a throwing error that put Dierks on first. With two outs, Harrison was hit by a pitch, which loaded the bases. Novak walked to force in a run and Ignacio Gonzalez singled to score another.
• The Bobcats scored in the sixth to pull within eight runs, 11-3. They scored two more runs in the seventh inning to make the score 11-5.
• The RedHawks answered with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to win 15-5 via the run rule. With two outs, Gonzalez and Matthew Buffington posted back-to-back singles, allowing Rasmussen to record an RBI double. Cruz cleared the bases with a triple to left-center and Dierks walked to load the bases. A walk-off wild pitch scored the RedHawks' final run and secured a win for Miami.

Miami 17, Ohio 6 (Box Score)
OXFORD, Ohio – The RedHawks pounded the Ohio Bobcats Sunday, winning the third and final game of their series 17-6 in seven innings. Ignacio Gonzalez recorded eight RBIs during the game, including a grand slam down the left field line in the sixth inning to cement the victory. The RedHawks improve to 22-12 (12-6 MAC) with the win, while Ohio drops to 7-28 (4-14 MAC).

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The RedHawks escaped a first-inning jam with an unassisted inning-ending double play by Diego Cruz. In the bottom of the first, Marcus Dierks, Evan Appelwick and Tommy Harrison each walked with no outs to load the bases. Gonzalez batted in two runs with a single to left-center, and Carson Raether hit a sac fly to stretch Miami's lead to 3-0.
• Ohio loaded the bases in the top of the third with three back-to-back singles. A walk scored the Bobcats' first run of the day, and another run came across on another single. The Bobcats tied the game 3-3 with a sac fly.
• The RedHawks scored eight runs in the bottom of the third. With two runners on and no outs, Jamie Rasmussen hit his second home run of the season. Cruz followed with a double, and Dierks hit an infield single to add another run. Appelwick reached on an error that scored Dierks, and Harrison drove in a run with a single. Miami's 10th and 11th runs were scored as Gonzalez doubled to left field and gave Miami an 11-3 advantage.
• Ohio scored two runs of their own in the fourth inning, putting up a walk and two RBI doubles. After a scoreless fifth, the Bobcats struck again in the sixth, scoring one run on two hits to make the score 11-6.
• The RedHawks put up six runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 17-6 advantage. Cruz led off with a double, and Dominic Krupinski walked, setting up Appelwick for an RBI single. Harrison walked and Ryan Novak took an HBP to force in another run and keep the bases loaded. Gonzalez delivered a grand slam down the left field line to put an exclamation point on a 17-run outing for Miami.
• Alex Gay recorded the final three outs, including three strikeouts, to close out the seven-inning run-rule win.

Akron at Ball State 
Ball State 13, Akron 8 (Box Score)
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team rallied for seven runs in the sixth inning, including a go-ahead three-run homer from Ryan Muizelaar, and scored 11 unanswered runs overall in a 13-8 win over Akron on Friday afternoon at Shebek Stadium.

The Cardinals (17-16, 11-5 Mid-American Conference) trailed 6-2 after the top of the sixth inning against the visiting Zips (14-19, 5-11 MAC) but got runs batted in by Brett Griffiths (fielder's choice), Max Kalk (triple) Kenskey Thomas (double) and Gavin Balius (single) to tie the game before Muizelaar belted the three-run blast a projected 371 feet to right field to give Ball State a 9-6 advantage.

Griffiths scored on a wild pitch, and Jack Bakus had a pinch hit RBI single in the seventh to extend the edge to 11-6 for the hosts before Jacob Gillis hit a two-run shot to right in the eighth inning to give Ball State a 13-6 lead.

After Akron plated a run on an RBI single in the second, the Cardinals got a two-run single from Gillis in the third to go ahead 2-1. The Zips scored four times in the fifth frame and once in the sixth before Ball State responded with the seven-run rally in the bottom half of the sixth inning.

Gillis paced the offense for the hosts with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate plus a walk, four RBI and two runs scored. Griffiths and Thomas tallied two hits and an RBI each, while six total Cardinals scored two runs on the day.

Owen Quinn (4-0) got the final 14 outs of the game for the Ball State pitching staff out of the bullpen to earn the win, striking out four in 4.2 innings of three-run ball.

Ball State head coach Rich Maloney collected his 700th career win at Ball State with the decision.

"Our guys stayed the course and put together a big inning - a lot of guys contributed," Maloney said. "We got much-needed innings from Owen Quinn."

The Zips got two hits, including a home run, and three RBI from both of the Bowen brothers (Blake and Brady). John Allen (0-1) was the first man in relief for Akron and surrendered four runs and got only two outs to be hit with the loss.

Ball State 3, Akron 2 (Box Score)
MUNCIE, Ind. – Trailing by one entering the bottom of the ninth, the Ball State baseball team rallied for two runs including a walk-off single by Brett Griffiths to beat Akron 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at Shebek Stadium.

The Cardinals (18-16, 12-5 Mid-American Conference) were limited to one hit on the day entering the final frame by starting pitcher Brady Bowen of the Zips (14-20, 5-12 MAC) but got a one-out single from Ryan Muizelaar. The third baseman for Ball State advanced to second on a groundout before reaching home on a fielding error by the Akron first baseman. Griffiths roped a 2-2 pitch deep down the left field line to plate Kendric Sorgius and clinch the series win for the hosts.

Jacob Gillis hit an RBI grounder that scored Brayden Huebner in the first inning to get the scoring started. Akron tied the game on an RBI double from Bowen in the second frame and got a go-ahead solo home run from Kyle McConachie in the sixth to take a 2-1 edge.

John Chambers started for Ball State and tallied 7.2 innings pitched with eight strikeouts, four hits, no walks and two runs. The senior right-handed pitcher got the most outs (23) as a Cardinal with the performance.

Zander Bretza (1-1) followed in relief and got the final four outs for the hosts including two punchouts to be credited with the win.

Charlie Keller joined Griffiths and Muizelaar as Cardinals with hits on the afternoon. The three runs were the second-fewest Ball State has scored in a win this season (1-0 at Hawaii on Feb. 28).

"Our boys never quit and found a way to win," Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. "Great pitching effort from John Chambers and Zander Bretza, great defense from Kenskey Thomas, big hit by Brett Griffiths! Great team effort! Go Cardinals!"

Bowen tossed 8.2 innings of three-run ball (none earned) with seven strikeouts but suffered the loss for the visitors.

Akron 7, Ball State 6 (Box Score)
MUNCIE, Ind. - Mitchel Szymczak and Brody Chrisman each hit two home runs to help propel the Akron Zips over the Ball State Cardinals 7-6 on Sunday.

Szymczak added a walk and four RBI to his two homer day and Chrisman supplemented his own two big flies with a double, a walk and three RBI for the Zips. Brady Bowen also contributed for Akron, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a walk.

Trieg Matthews (3-1) got the win out of the bullpen for Akron (15-20, 6-12). The left-hander went four innings, giving up one run on four hits, allowing no walks and striking out one. Floyd McKenna also pitched well, going three shutout innings while allowing three hits to earn the save.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Zips were trailing 2-0 in the second inning when they first put runs on the board. Akron picked up three runs in the frame.

The Cardinals then rallied to score two runs and take a 4-3 lead before the Zips got back on the board in the fourth. Szymczak came across to score the lone run of the inning for Akron, which brought the score level at 4-4.

That 4-4 tie turned into a 5-4 Akron lead in the fifth.

The Cardinals then tied up the game at five before Akron fought back to retake their advantage in the seventh inning. Kelton Phillips and Chrisman came in to score the two Zips runs in the frame, bringing the score to 7-5 in favor of Akron. Ball State put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but the Zips still held on for the 7-6 win.

UMass at Eastern Michigan
UMass 4, Eastern Michigan 2 (Box Score)
YPSILANTI, Mich. - University of Massachusetts baseball defeated Eastern Michigan, 4-2, in the first ever meeting between the two teams on Friday afternoon at Oestrike Stadium.  

UMass improved to 7-18 overall on the season and 3-13 in the Mid-American Conference, as Eastern Michigan moved to 10-22 overall and 5-11 in the league.  

Braden Sullivan and Reece McCarthy led the team in hits with three each, followed by Ty Fox with two. Vance Bonior, Jack Beverly and Matt Travisano all had one hit apiece. Will Briggs, McCarthy, Beverly and Sullivan scored a run for UMass, as Sullivan Travisano and Ryan Kolben all recorded an RBI.   

Eastern Michigan took a 1-0 lead in the third with an RBI double, but Massachusetts knotted up the game at 1-1 in the fourth. With one out, Briggs walked, before stealing second. Bonior was walked with two outs, followed by a single up the middle by Sullivan to load up the bases. Travisano then singled up the middle, driving home Briggs.  

The Minutemen claimed the lead in the sixth, pushing across three runs to make it a 4-1 contest. Back-to-back-to-back singles started off the inning, as Sullivan's single to left field aided McCarthy across the dish. On a fielder's choice, Beverly reached third and advanced home on a throwing error by the Eagles' pitcher to give UMass a 3-1 lead. Kolben then hit a sacrifice bunt with Sullivan touching home plate.

The Eagles were able to score another run in the final frame, but UMass was able to hold off the offense to claim the 4-2 victory.

Callen Powers (3-3) earned his second straight win after letting up one run on five hits, three walks and dealing eight strikeouts in seven innings of work. Jack Niedringhaus received his third save of the season, giving up no runs, no hits, a walk and striking out one in the final inning.

Cole Egan (2-3) took the loss for Eastern Michigan, giving up three runs on as many hits with no walks or strikeouts.

UMass 10, Eastern Michigan 0 (Box Score)
YPSILANTI, Mich. – Behind power shutout pitching from sophomore Adam Merritt and redshirt sophomore Ben Thomason, University of Massachusetts baseball picked up its second combined shutout victory of the season, blanking Eastern Michigan, 10-0, on Saturday afternoon at Oestrike Stadium. It marked the first Mid-American Conference series win for Massachusetts this season.

Merritt received his first collegiate win after allowing no hits through seven innings of work, while Thomason finished the final two innings with only two hits allowed.

UMass improved to 8-18 overall on the season and 4-13 in the MAC, as Eastern Michigan moved to 10-23 overall and 5-12 in the league.  

Additionally, the Minutemen got the bats going, led by Gavin O'Brien, who went 3-for-5 on the day. O'Brien recorded his fifth home run of the season, eighth double of the year and had a single, while adding a game-high and career-best matching three RBI and one run scored. Anthony Tirado, Ty Fox and Matt Travisano tallied two hits apiece, which included two doubles from Tirado. Tirado and Fox also posted two RBI, with Tirado scoring two runs. Braden Sullivan and Ryan Kolben also contributed two runs each, as Travisano and Jack Beverly both registered an RBI.

O'Brien opened the scoring for Massachusetts with a two-out, solo home run to left field in the first frame to take a 1-0 lead.

The Minutemen extended their lead in the second, making it a 5-0 contest. Will Briggs and Travisano started off the inning with back-to-back singles, before Beverly was walked to load up the bases. A fielder's choice got the out at home plate, but loaded up the bases again with Kolben on first and Travisano and Beverly in scoring position. Tirado then doubled down the right field line as Travisano and Beverly crossed the dish to make it 3-0. With two outs, O'Brien recorded a double to right center field, scoring Kolben and Tirado to increase the lead to 5-0.

UMass continued to add to its lead in the third. With Sullivan on base and two outs, Beverly singled to right center field, as Sullivan came across home plate to give Massachusetts a 6-0 lead.

Massachusetts tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth. Reece McCarthy touched the plate on a bases loaded walk, before Sullivan scored on a passed ball.
In the top of the ninth, the Minutemen pushed across two more runs as Fox hit a two-run single to score Kolben and Tirado.

The Minutemen were able to hold off Eastern Michigan in the final frame to claim the 10-0 MAC series win.

Merritt (1-3) secured his first career win, allowing no hits, no runs, walking four and striking out a career-high matching seven in seven innings of work for the Minutemen. It also marked his first career shutout.  Thomason capped the final two innings with only two hits allowed, no runs, two walks and a strikeout.

Cal Rutherford (2-1) had the loss for the Eagles, tossing 1.2 innings and giving up five runs on as many hits, walking two and striking out two.

UMass 19, Eastern Michigan 15 (Box Score)
YPSILANTI, Mich. – University of Massachusetts baseball earned its first Mid-American Conference series sweep after defeating Eastern Michigan, 19-15, on Sunday afternoon at Oestrike Stadium.

UMass improved to 9-18 overall on the season and 5-13 in the MAC, as Eastern Michigan moved to 10-24 overall and 5-32 in the league.  

Braden Sullivan led the team with a career-high five hits, including a career-best two home runs. Sullivan added two RBI and a career-best five runs. His five runs scored matched a single game record. Gavin O'Brien registered a career-best four hits, which included a career-high two home runs, while posting a career-high eight RBI and two runs. Ty Fox and Jack Beverly totaled three hits apiece, with Fox scoring a career-best four runs and Beverly batting in a career-high six runs.

Massachusetts took an early 3-0 lead in the opening frame. With one out, Fox singled to right field, followed by a single from O'Brien. Reece McCarthy then singled through the left side as Fox slid into home to give UMass a 1-0 lead. A fielder's choice loaded the bases with the out at home, but Beverly recorded a single to left center field to bring home McCarthy and Sullivan.

The Minutemen pulled ahead, 5-0, in the top of the second. After one out, Anthony Tirado was walked. Fox then singled down the right field line to advance Tirado to third. Fox stole second, before O'Brien singled through left side as Tirado and Fox crossed the dish.

Eastern Michigan recorded a two-run home run to get on the board and make it a 5-2 game in the bottom of the second. A three-run homer for the Eagles in the inning tied up the game at 5-5. EMU broke the tie in the third with an RBI double to make it a 6-5 contest, before a sacrifice fly in the fourth pushed Eastern Michigan ahead, 7-5.

Sullivan started off the sixth inning with a solo homer, marking his third of the season, and brought UMass back within one at 7-6. After a ground-rule double by Matt Travisano, Beverly doubled down the left field line as Travisano came across the dish to knot up the game at 7-7. The Minutemen reclaimed the lead, 8-7, as Beverly scored on a bases loaded fielder's choice. With the bases loaded, O'Brien homered over the left center field wall for his first collegiate grand slam to give UMass a 12-7 lead. Sullivan recorded his second long ball of the inning to push Massachusetts ahead 13-7.  

The Eagles tacked on two tuns with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 13-9 game. A bases loaded walk for Eastern Michigan, and a sacrifice fly brought the score to 13-11. Another bases loaded walk put EMU back within one at 13-12.

In the seventh, Eastern Michigan scored on an RBI single to tie the game up once again at 13-13.

A wild pitch in the top of the eighth helped McCarthy cross home plate to give UMass the 14-13 lead. A sacrifice fly then allowed Sullivan to come home and pull Massachusetts ahead, 15-13.

The top of the ninth saw O'Brien register his second home run of the game, also scoring Fox. With two outs, Beverly singled down the right field line to drive home Sullivan and Travisano to push the Minutemen ahead, 19-13.

Eastern Michigan added two runs in the bottom half of the final frame, but UMass was able to hold off the Eagles and come out on top, 19-15.

Jack Niedringhaus (1-1) picked up his first win as a Minuteman after allowing one run on five hits, walking two and striking out two. Brandon Wingenroth earned his first career save after giving up no runs, no hits and no walks with no strikeouts in 0.1 innings.

Aidan Norris (0-1) had the loss, giving up two runs, one hit, a walk and no strikeouts in 0.1 innings.

Toledo at Western Michigan
Toledo 3, Western Michigan 2 (Box Score)
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Toledo baseball team used three early runs and Nathan Leininger's seven shutout innings for a 3-2 victory against Western Michigan in a Mid-American Conference series opener on Friday.

The Rockets (16-17, 12-4 MAC) plated runs with two outs in each of the first, second and fifth innings for a 3-0 lead. The Broncos (15-15, 10-6) scored two and closed within a run in the eighth inning, but the Rockets used a double play in the eighth to prevent further damage and held the Broncos off the scoreboard in the ninth. Toledo has won six of its last seven MAC games and is 8-1 in series openers this season.

The win coupled with a Kent State loss moves Toledo into a tie for first place in the MAC standings after Friday's action.

Junior Cade Baker had three hits, including two doubles, scored twice and added an RBI. Junior Carson McCaleb and redshirt junior Troy Sudbrook also contributed RBIs.

Leininger (7-0) tossed 7.0 shutout innings, allowing just five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. The seven innings were the second-longest of the season for Leininger, who won his seventh-straight start. Leininger also held the nation's batting average leader, Tanner Mally (.495 entering Friday), to 0-for-3 in three matchups. Redshirt freshman Nate Langbehn picked up his third save of the season, striking out the side in the ninth to preserve the one-run victory.

The Rockets and Broncos will continue the series on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Western Michigan 8, Toledo 6 (Box Score)
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team got 7.0 strong innings from Sam Carlisle and Michael Maloney drove in three runs to help WMU knock off Toledo, 8-6, on Saturday, evening the three-game weekend series at one game apiece.  
 
Toledo opened the scoring for the second straight day, picking up a run in the top of the second.
 
Western Michigan then erupted for five in the third. Tanner Mally led off with the second of his three hits in the contest. After an error moved Mally to third, Drew Howard brought him home with a sacrifice fly. Maloney followed with an RBI single to put the Broncos in front. After Mark Mennecke was hit by a pitch, Josh Polubinski drilled a double down the left field line to plate a run. Avery Thielman followed with a two-bagger of his own which brought two more in for the Brown and Gold and stretched their advantage to 5-1.
 
The Rockets pulled one back in the fourth to trim the gap to three, 5-2.
 
Sam Carlisle found his groove after that fourth-inning tally, retiring seven Rockets in a row at one point and nine of the final 10 he faced. For the afternoon, the righty fired a career-high tying 7.0 innings, limiting one of the MAC's top offenses to two runs on six hits while piling up eight strikeouts to collect his third win of the year.
 
WMU picked up a pair of insurance runs in the sixth, with Maloney notching another RBI single and Cooper Hums scoring on a Toledo error.  
 
The Rockets scored a pair in the eighth to make it a three-run spread once again, 7-4.
 
Maloney's third run-scoring knock of the day gave the Brown and Gold a four-run cushion heading into the ninth.
 
Toledo notched a pair in the final frame, but Turner Doran held off the Rockets to collect his league-leading eighth save of the season.

Western Michigan 6, Toledo 3 (Box Score)
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team got 8.0 innings from starter Ricky Kidd and scored all six of its runs in the sixth inning to claim a 6-3 win over Toledo on Sunday afternoon to secure the weekend series victory over the Rockets.
 
After Toledo notched a run in the top of the first, Kidd settled in for the Broncos, blanking the visitors over the next seven innings. The right-hander's 8.0 innings of work established a new career high and included three strikeouts on the way to his team-leading fourth win of the campaign.
 
The Rockets loaded the bases with one out against Kidd in the sixth, but the graduate student induced an infield pop up and then Tanner Mally tracked one down in the right-center field gap to keep WMU within a run.
 
The Western Michigan offense had its opportunities in the early going, but did not break through until the sixth. Avery Thielman, who reached in all four of his trips to the plate, got the Brown and Gold started with a base hit up the middle. With one out, Mason Pilarski flipped a single the other way, and an error on the play allowed Thielman to come all the way around from first to tie the score at 1-1.
 
Following a walk to Nolan Zajac, Mally hit a ground ball to the left side of the diamond which scooted right under the glove of the Toledo shortstop to bring Pilarski in and put the Broncos on top. Cooper Hums followed with a two-run single and then scored on a Drew Howard triple. Howard then raced home on a wild pitch to cap WMU's six-run outburst.  
 
Kidd went back to work with the five-run cushion and kept Toledo off of the scoreboard in the seventh and eighth frames.
 
The Rockets plated a pair in the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate with two outs, but DJ Thompson induced a weak ground ball right to Thielman, who stepped on first to secure the game and series victory for the Brown and Gold.

Kent State at Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois 12, Kent State 2 (Box Score)
DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University baseball team scored 12 runs on 10 hits Friday afternoon to defeat the Kent State Golden Flashes 12-2 in seven innings at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt & Janice Owens Park.
 
Seven of the nine hitters in the NIU lineup had a hit in the game. Charlie Parcell (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West), Will Couchman (Edina, Minn./NIACC) and Nolan Sandee (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet) each had two hits and combined for six runs batted in. Cole Smith (Dubuque, Iowa/Bradley) and Marcus Romero (Brighton, Colo./South Mountain College) both had a game-high three RBI.
 
NIU (19-10, 11-5 MAC) took the lead in the bottom of the first. Parcell led off with an infield single, then stole both second and third base. Gavin Baldwin (Nashville, Ill./SEMO) drove in Parcell with a two-out single to right field to put the Huskies up 1-0. The Huskies extended the lead with a two-out rally in the second. Couchman kept the inning alive by getting a single off of Kent State's Ciaran Caughey to cap a 10-pitch at-bat. He took second base on a wild pitch, then scored on a Sandee single that made the score 2-0. Parcell then drew a walk to give NIU runners at first and second. Smith then stepped up to the plate and hit a three-run home run over the left field fence to make the score 5-0.
 
Max Vaisvila (Villa Park, Ill./Wabash Valley College) retired the first 11 batters he faced in the game, but he needed some help from his defense in the top of the third. Nolan Belcher got Kent State's first hit with a single leading off the third. He tried to stretch it to a double but was thrown out by the Huskies' left fielder Wyatt Wawro (Darien, Ill./Downers Grove South). Vaisvila then got a groundout and strikeout to end the inning.
 
The Huskies put four more runs on the board in the bottom of the third inning. A one-out walk to Ivan Dahlberg (Minooka, Ill./Illinois-Springfield) and a Wawro double chased Caughey from the game. Romero put the first pitch from Kent State reliever Jordan Kolenda into left centerfield for a two-run single, scoring both Dahlberg and Wawro to put NIU up 7-0. Romero stole second base and took third on a passed ball before scoring on a Couchman base hit to make the score 8-0. Parcell drove in Couchman with a single to extend the NIU lead to 9-0.
 
Kent State (24-8, 12-4 MAC) got on the board in the top of the fourth when a Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe home run made the score 9-1. The Golden Flashes added another run in the sixth on an RBI single off the bat of Brody Williams. The Huskies loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth on a Smith walk and Dahlberg and Caden Robertson (Magnolia, Texas/Central Oklahoma) both being hit by pitches. Wawro was hit by a Jaden Varner pitch to score Robertson and put the Huskies up 10-2. Romero followed with a run-scoring walk to make the score 11-2. Sandee also drew a bases loaded walk that put the Huskies up 10, 12-2. Blake Gaskey (Davenport, Iowa/Ohio) came on in relief in the top of the seventh and got the final three outs of the game as the Huskies took the series opener in just seven innings.
 
Vaisvila moved to 6-0 on the year, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings with eight strikeouts. The senior has a 1.71 earned run average in Mid-American Conference games, striking out 40 batters in 42 innings pitched.

Kent State 9, Northern Illinois 8 (Box Score)
DEKALB, Ill. — Ripken Reese delivered two big swings and Kent State's bullpen held the line as the Golden Flashes rallied past Northern Illinois, 9-8, Saturday afternoon at Ralph McKinzie Field to even the weekend series at one game apiece. The Flashes, who trailed 2-0 after the first inning and were tied three times throughout the game, improved to 25-8 overall and 13-4 in MAC play.

Reese was the catalyst from start to finish. He tripled home Brady Marshall in the third inning to ignite a four-run frame, then clubbed a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning to put Kent State back ahead at 8-7. He finished 2-for-5 with a triple, a home run, three RBIs, and a run scored.

The Flashes broke out in the third, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead in a hurry. After Reese's RBI triple, Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe followed with a two-run blast to left field, and Nolan Belcher added a two-out RBI double to push the lead to 4-2. Northern Illinois answered to tie the game in the bottom of the third, but Kent State used a Reese groundout RBI in the fourth to retake the advantage at 5-4.

The Huskies tied it again in the fifth when Gavin Baldwin crushed a three-run homer to left center, knotting the score at 7-7. Reese's go-ahead shot in the sixth broke the second tie of the afternoon, but NIU responded immediately with a Caden Robertson RBI double to make it 8-8 heading into the seventh.

Luke Matthews delivered the decisive blow, singling home Alejandro Covas in the top of the seventh to put Kent State ahead for good at 9-8. Matthews finished 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two stolen bases.

Evan Holewinski (2-0) earned the win out of the bullpen, working 3.1 innings of one-run ball. Brody Krzysiak closed it out, recording his third save of the season with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Kolton Schaller chipped in with a two-run single in the fifth, and Rienstra-Kiracofe was a force throughout, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, two walks, and two stolen bases.

Robertson led NIU (19-11, 11-6 MAC) with a 4-for-4 day that included a home run, a double, and three RBIs.

Northern Illinois 5, Kent State 2 (Box Score)
DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University baseball team won its first series over the Kent State Golden Flashes in DeKalb since 2009 on Sunday afternoon, winning 5-2 at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt & Janice Owens Park.
 
NIU (20-11, 12-6 MAC) has won five of its first six Mid-American Conference series to start the year. Carter Cox (St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt South) and Blake Gaskey (Davenport, Iowa/Ohio) combined to hold the Golden Flashes to two runs on six hits in Sunday's series finale. Cox won his second straight start, going seven innings. He allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Gaskey got his first save of the season, throwing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
 
Cox picked off a runner at first base to end the top of the first, then struck out the side in order in the second. Gavin Baldwin (Nashville, Ill./SEMO) drew a walk off of Kent State starting pitcher Ben Rabatin to start the bottom of the second. Ivan Dahlberg (Minooka, Ill./Illinois-Springfield) followed with a single to left field. Wyatt Wawro (Darien, Ill./Downers Grove South) drove in Baldwin with a base hit down the left field line to give NIU a 1-0 lead. Cooper Cohn (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) loaded the bases with a bunt single, and after a strikeout Kayden Jennings (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) was hit by a pitch to bring Dahlberg in to score the Huskies' second run. Charlie Parcell (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) put NIU up 3-0 with a single to right field, scoring Wawro.
 
Kent State (25-9, 13-5 MAC) got on the board in the top of the third. With runners at the corners and no outs Luke Matthews put down a sacrifice bunt to score Nolan Belcher from third base to make the score 3-1. Brady Marshall brought in Grady Mee with a single to right center to get the Golden Flashes within a run at 3-2. Cox held Kent State there, getting a groundout and strikeout to end the inning.
 
The Huskies got those two runs back in the bottom of the fourth. Jennings and Parcell hit back-to-back singles to start the frame. Cole Smith (Dubuque, Iowa/Bradley) laced a single up the middle to drive in Jennings and put NIU ahead 4-2. Rabatin got back-to-back lineouts for the first two outs but walked Dahlberg to load the bases, then walked Wawro to bring home Parcell and give NIU a 5-2 lead.
 
Cox did his part to keep the Huskies in front. The sophomore retired the side in both the fifth and sixth innings, then stranded a runner at third base in the seventh. Gaskey entered the game in the top of the eighth. The Golden Flashes got a walk and a two-out single from Micah Kiracofe, but Gaskey struck out Sawyer Solitaria to get out of the inning.
 
Kent State attempted one last rally in the ninth. The first two Golden Flashes reached base as Brody Willams hit an infield single and Kolton Schaller drew a walk. Gaskey struck out Belcher for the first out but hit Mee with a pitch to load the bases. He struck out Matthews for the second out and got Marshall to hit into a fielder's choice to end the game.
 
Smith extended his current hitting streak to eight games on Sunday, going 2-for-5 with an RBI. The senior infielder has 10 multi-hit games out of his last 14. Parcell also had two hits on Sunday to go with an RBI, a walk and a stolen base. The junior centerfielder was 6-for-13 at the plate in the weekend's series with four runs scored and four stolen bases.

Central Michigan at Bowling Green
Bowling Green 5, Central Michigan 4 (Box Score)
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team continued their winning ways Friday night (April 10) against Central Michigan, this time coming from behind to do it. Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs, the Falcons put together a rally beginning with Alex Laird reaching on a fielder's choice. Griffin Scheiderer and Carter Mottice were both hit by pitches to load the bases, setting up a two-RBI single off the bat of Lance Vickers through the left side of the infield to propel the Falcons to victory and extend their winning streak to six. BGSU is now 6-0 in April for the first time since 1976 and 6-0 to begin any month for the first time since May 2009.

At the plate, Lance Vickers led the way with a two-hit day. Vickers tallied a season-high three RBI as well as a run scored, accounting for four of BGSU's five runs in the contest. As for the mound, Ty Roder picked up his second win of the week while Titus Lotz shut down the ninth with strikeouts for the final two recorded outs, securing his second save of the season. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Lance Vickers drew a walk with one out in the bottom of the first and advanced to second on a grounder. With two outs, Brayden Curlis put a ball in play that resulted in an error, caroming off the first baseman's glove, to score Vickers for a 1-0 lead. 
• TJ Takats led off the bottom of the second with a liner up the middle for a single. Griffin Scheiderer was hit by a pitch and Carter Mottice drew a walk to load the bases, setting up an RBI single to third for Vickers for a 2-0 BGSU lead. 
• Central Michigan scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game at 2-2, before adding one in the sixth for a 3-2 advantage. 
• Anthony Mitta legged out a bunt single to start the bottom of the sixth before taking second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a grounder. A single through the left side off the bat of Alex Laird scored Mitta for a 3-3 tie.
• A solo home run for Central Michigan gave them a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth.
• In the bottom of the eighth, Laird reached on a fielder's choice to spark a two-out rally before both Scheiderer and Mottice were hit by pitches to load the bases. A liner past the shortstop from Vickers plated both Laird and Scheiderer to put BGSU in front 5-4 and prompt a CMU pitching change.
• In the ninth, Titus Lotz entered with one out and a runner on. He tallied a pair of strikeouts to close out the game and secure his second save of the season.

Central Michigan 5, Bowling Green 0 (Box Score)
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Goose eggs, donuts, bike tires.

Whatever the term, there is nothing more pleasing to the eye of a baseball pitching staff and a coach than zeros on the opposing team's scoreline.

Four Central Michigan hurlers combined on a three-hitter as the Chippewas downed Bowling Green, 5-0, on Saturday in a Mid-American Conference game at the Falcons' Steller Field.

It was the Chippewas' first shutout since April 27, 2025, a 4-0 blanking of Ball State, and their first on the road since they posted a 6-0 win at Houston Christian in the '25 season opener.

The Chippewas (12-18, 6-11 MAC) snapped a seven-game losing streak against Bowling Green (14-18, 8-9) and halted the Falcons' win streak at six games. The teams play the finale of their three-game series on Sunday (11 a.m.).

Hayden Bailey started for CMU and went six innings and then Max Hammond, Nate Ross and Jared Hanson each pitched an inning. They combined to strike out eight and walk three.

Bailey (1-2) got back-to-back strikeouts to strand two base runners in the first inning and repeated the feat in the second to leave a runner at second. He got a strikeout to end the fifth and leave the bases loaded.

His final line: Two hits, six strikeouts, three walks, seven Falcons left on base.

It was his first win of the season.

"He's got stuff to get punchouts when he needs it," CMU coach Jake Sabol said. "He stayed under control and he made some pitches, especially in hitter's counts when he was down 2-1, 3-1 and got some weak contact and you need that. If you're going to put up a bunch of zeros, you need to get some bad swings in hitter's counts. He did a lot of that today. He made pitches when he needed to. It was fun to watch him do his thing."

It was Bailey's fifth consecutive start in which he has gone at least 5 2/3 innings. His earned run average in those five starts covering 33 innings is 2.45 and stands at 4.50 for the season. Before his recent streak of five starts, his ERA was 8.31.

"He's stacked some really good outings," Sabol said. "He's just pitching. Early in the year he was trying to be this 92-and-94 mph guy and strike everybody out and that's not who he is.

"You've got to pitch a little bit. These hitters are too good to think you're just going to roll out there and get a bunch of outs without being prepared and doing the things you're supposed to do.

"We had a couple of conversations with him that he has to work ahead more, he has to be down in the zone, he has to be able to locate his fastball, and I think that's been a big help for him, just understanding that this is who he is. That was a key thing for us to get him to really buy into."

Hammond and Ross set the Falcons down in order in the seventh and eighth, respectively. Hanson surrendered a leadoff single in the ninth and then retired the next three batters in order.

It was, arguably, the bullpen's best performance of the season. Combined with Bailey's start, it was as good as CMU has been on the mound in 2026.

"All of those guys are more than capable, and they were all really good today, and they've all gotten plenty of chances late in games to go take it," Sabol said. "We've kind of been playing musical chairs (in the bullpen) a little bit to figure out who's going to do it.

"Yes, they've got to believe it and having some success will hopefully build that confidence a little bit for somebody else tomorrow."

Falcon starter Ethan Stade (2-3) looked untouchable early, striking out six of the first eight batters he faced.

Drew Loikits, CMU's No. 9 hitter, doubled with one out in the third for the Chippewas' first hit. Bryson Webb then bunted for a single and Loikits scored on a throwing error on the play.

Harrison Bowman followed with a two-run homer – his team-leading ninth round-tripper of the season – to put the Chippewas up, 3-0.

"We just found ways and I think that's what good teams do," Sabol said. "He punched us out a bunch in the first two innings and we found a way to get a baserunner and we executed in the short game on Bryson's bunt for a hit. We got it to Bowman and he put a good swing on it. That's what good teams do.

"You can't just let the guy roll through your lineup two or three times without making adjustments; you need your best players to step up and produce for you."

The Chippewas added a run in the sixth when Cole Prout doubled with one out, stole third, and scored on a Brady Krzciok bunt. They got their final run in the seventh when Loikits was hit by a pitch with two out and scored on a Webb double.

Central Michigan 21, Bowling Green 13 (Box Score)
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – A bust-out day for the Central Michigan bats.

And, more importantly, a Mid-American Conference series win that keeps the Chippewas in the hunt.

Zach Knowlton homered twice, Bryson Webb tied a program record with four doubles, and the Chippewas posted season highs in hits and runs on Sunday in bashing their way to a 21-13 win over Bowling Green in the finale of a three-game series at the Falcons' Steller Field.

The Chippewas took two out of three from the Falcons, improving to 13-18, 7-11 MAC. Coming out with a net gain on the weekend is a boon for the Chippewas, who are still very much in the running for a MAC Tournament berth.

CMU is set to play five home games this week: Nonleaguers with Milwaukee (Monday) and Youngstown State (Wednesday) and a three-game MAC series with Ohio beginning on Friday.

Knowlton's second homer, a three-run shot, gave the Chippewas an 11-10 lead and ignited an eight-run eighth inning, after which they led, 16-10.

Brady Krzciok hit a grand slam in the inning as the Chippewas sent 12 batters to the plate. CMU sent 10 to the plate in tacking on five runs on six hits in the ninth.

Knowlton finished with a career-high five RBI and his two homers gave him five on the season. He also homered twice on March 13 at Kent State. Krzciok and Harrison Bowman drove in four runs apiece.

Spencer Verburg also homered for CMU as seven Chippewas collected multiple hits. CMU totaled 22 hits, 11 of them for extra bases.

CMU totaled six homers in the series, upping its season total to 42. The Chippewas hit 40 round-trippers in 2025.

Webb, who scored four runs, joined Jake Sanborn (1998) and Tyler Stovall (2007) as Chippewas to hit four doubles in a game.

Webb, a redshirt junior third baseman, moved to the leadoff spot 13 games ago and has hit safely in eight of the Chippewas' last nine games. He is hitting .365 and has scored 12 runs in those nine games

Jack Potteiger (2-0), the third Chippewa pitcher, picked up the victory. He came on to start the sixth inning with CMU trailing, 8-7, after Bowling Green had scored six runs in the fifth.

Potteiger allowed two runs on three hits and struck out three. He left after striking out the leadoff hitter in the eighth and the Chippewas leading, 16-10.