Kent State baseball’s game against Michigan Tuesday was the Flashes’ to lose — and they did that after surrendering two runs in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings before ultimately falling in the 11th inning on a Wolverine walk-off home run.
KSU scored runs in the eighth and ninth to take a 4-2 lead late in the game, and the team only had three more outs to go before stealing a game on the road against a Big Ten opponent.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Flashes’ bullpen got the first two outs of the inning but gave up a single in the process, and on the fourth batter of the inning, KSU was down to its last two strikes.
Michigan’s pinch hitter turned on a ball and sent it to left-center field, and the ball kept going until it was past the wall, tying the game on one swing of the bat.
Although KSU gave up the lead, the game was a grudge match throughout, and the Flashes were able to keep up with a high-octane Power-Five team.
Redshirt junior pitcher Benny Roebuck got the start for Kent State, and he kept UM off the scoreboard for as long as he pitched.
He allowed one hit, two walks, one strikeout and zero runs through the first three innings of the game.
Roebuck’s night was over after the third inning, but by the time he was done, the Flashes had gathered a 2-0 lead.
Both runs came in the top of the third inning, and the scoring was started with senior left fielder Tim Orr, who singled toward the shortstop, scoring redshirt freshman second baseman Ripken Reese.
Later in the inning, senior shortstop Kyle Jackson dropped a bunt single, and the UM pitcher issued a throwing error, which allowed redshirt senior Josh Johnson to score from second on the play.
Michigan scored to tie the game on its first chance after Roebuck exited in the bottom of the fourth.
UM used a sacrifice fly and a fielding error to tie the game, and the score would hold until the top of the eighth.
KSU and Michigan pitching would keep the opposing bats silent for three full innings before the scoring picked back up.
A wild pitch in the top of the eighth inning allowed freshman first baseman Hunter Klotz to score from third, giving the Flashes a critical run in a 3-2 game.
The lead was extended in the ninth on a double down the right-field line from Orr, his second RBI of the game.
The Kent State pitching could not shut the door on the Wolverines, and the game went to extra innings, the third time this season for the Flashes.
The 10th inning was quiet for both teams, but KSU worked the bases loaded in the inning but failed to capitalize on the opportunity. Michigan went down quietly in the 10th, but that would not be the case for the 11th.
KSU went three-up-three-down in the 11th inning, but Michigan made some noise to spoil the Flashes’ potential upset.
Again, KSU was down to its final out — twice — but allowed a single, and then the ball was crushed to the left field wall and carried over it, ending the game on a walk-off two-run blast.
The loss was issued to junior Peyton Cariaco, who is now 4-2 on the season.
Cariaco pitched the final three innings of the game, allowing four runs on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Cariaco was one of seven KSU pitchers used in the game — there were a total of 16 pitchers used between the teams.
The Flashes had one more hit in the game than the Wolverines, but UM walked 10 times thanks in large part to five KSU hit-by-pitch walks.
With the loss, the Flashes fell to 22-21 on the season overall, but their 12-9 conference record stays intact.
KSU remains in the fifth spot of the Mid-American Conference.
The Flashes have lost three of their last five games, and the team fell to 10-17 away from Kent.
The KSU season record against P-5 teams will end at 2-2, with wins coming against Pitt and Penn State, while recording losses against Michigan and Pitt.
Regardless, Kent State will look to get back on track during a three-game home series against Miami University (Ohio).
The series will run Friday-Sunday at Schoonover Stadium.
Miami is one of the few schools above the Flashes in the MAC standings, as the RedHawks are in third place.
The Hawks hold a similar 22-19 record but have a 14-10 record against MAC opponents.
The Flashes will look to break up a Miami eight-game winning streak.
Last season, KSU was only able to take one of three games on the road at Miami in the teams’ lone three-game series.
Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
As the season winds down, all games become important in the push for appearances in conference tournaments, but games and series against conference opponents become especially amplified.
A sweep against Miami could propel the Flashes to the second spot if Ball State loses any of its games and Western Michigan loses two against Bowling Green.
The Flashes are 12-4 at home this season, and the team will try to mimic its season success on the home diamond in the push for the playoffs.
John Hilber is assistant sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].
