Baseball makes 10-straight wins
March 13, 2016
It’s been 21 days since the Kent State baseball team has lost a game.
In those same three weeks they have won 10-straight games including three weekend sweeps.
After a dominating weekend sweep over Radford University, the Flashes have now completed three-straight sweeps in the last three weekends.
The past couple weekends haven’t had a consistent hero on the team. One day it’ll be the starting pitching and the next it’ll be someone having a four-of-five day at the plate. This weekend was no different.
The Flashes controlled the plate and the mound all weekend. The pitching did its job, only allowing – on average – three runs per game. The bats came alive as well, averaging seven runs per ball game.
Day one featured junior Eric Lauer, who tossed a gem and his best overall performance of the season, going seven scoreless innings, striking out six and only allowing five hits and one walk.
On the offensive side, sophomores Dylan Rosa and Tim DalPorto cranked their first home-runs of the season.
Junior Andy Ravel pitched the second day, and just as Lauer before him, threw seven innings. Two of the five runs he allowed were earned, and he finished with six hits and five strike-outs.
Three unearned runs due to five errors normally means a team has very little chance to win. However, thanks to a four-run fifth inning led by senior Zarley Zalewski and a two-run double to right, the Flashes were able to squeak out a victory by a score of 7-6.
Day three, which was cut short after five innings due to rain, belonged to sophomore Eli Kraus, who has performed well on the mound this season. It was Kraus’ turn to secure the sweep and the 10-game win streak, and did so by going a full five innings, allowing seven hits, walking three, and allowing three earned – by far Kraus’ worst performance of the year considering his so far stellar season.
However, thanks to another great day for the bats it still meant Kraus did his job.
Rosa again went deep, going two-of-three on the day, contributing to five of the eight Flashes’ runs.
The 10-game wining streak puts the Flashes at 10-3 on top of the Mid-American Conference standings by three games over the Miami University RedHawks, who currently sit at 5-4.
Wednesday marks Kent State’s home-opener, as they’ll welcome the University of Pittsburgh (7-6) for a one game set with a 6 p.m. start time.
Zach Harley is a sports reporter for The Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].