AVON, Ohio — No. 2 Kent State (41-14) defeated No. 1 Miami (38-17) with a 3–1 victory at ForeFront Field in the first of three 2026 MAC Baseball Championship games on Friday. With the win, No. 2 Kent State moves on to play No. 5 Western Michigan in the second game of Friday's MAC Baseball Championship action.
Ciaran Caugh tossed seven innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out seven. Evan Holewinski slammed the door in the eighth and ninth innings, allowing one hit and no runs to earn the save.
Brody Williams stood out for Kent State with a home run and driving in one run. Sawyer Solitaria contributed effectively, recording two hits, including a double, and adding an RBI.
In the recent performance of the Miami team, Clayton Burke stood out on the mound, pitching 7 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and allowing only two earned runs, demonstrating effective control with no walks given. Marcus Dierks contributed offensively with a hit and an RBI, while also drawing a walk, showcasing his ability to reach base. Dominic Krupinski added to the team's offensive efforts with a triple and a run scored, alongside a walk, providing a spark from the ninth spot in the lineup.
Postgame Quotes
Kent State head coach Jeff Duncan
"I'm just proud of our guys, the way they came back and responded from last night. We didn't get back into Kent until about 12:30 in the morning and were back at our baseball facility at 6 a.m. this morning. These guys are on no sleep, but it doesn't matter, right? Like we're, we're here to win a tournament right now. We just got to win one pitch at a time and keep going.
"Proud of them. I mean, Miami is a heck of a ball club, obviously. They swing it so well. And, you know, Ciaran Caughey was outstanding. Ooutstanding. And I'm so proud of him for a senior to come back here this morning and pitch the way he did against one of the top offenses in the country. And then Evan Holowinski minimizing damage late there and doing a really good job as well. I thought we played really good defense. I thought Hunter Klotz made a really good play on the 3-6-3 in the eighth inning. That was huge."
