Kent State head coach Scott Stricklin wondered how his team would respond following a three game sweep at Buffalo.

Stricklin had mixed feelings after the Flashes (20-20, 9-6 Mid-American Conference) split a doubleheader against Youngstown State (13-29, 7-8 Horizon League Conference) Tuesday at Schoonover Stadium.

“We’re really disappointed with game one,” Stricklin said. “We’re really disappointed in how our team played. I’m happy about how we turned the page. I’m happy [about] how we responded to adversity.”

Kent State used a five-run first inning and strong pitching to win the second game 5-2 after dropping the first game of the day.

“We were definitely more aggressive in game two, which we needed to be,” Stricklin said. “We’re a work in progress still. We’re not there yet, but we’re going to get there.”

Evan Campbell hit a double to right-center field to score Derek Toadvine and to send Sawyer Polen to third, after each singled to start the game. Polen then scored, adding another run for the Flashes. They would add three more runs to end the inning at five, and the Kent State pitching staff did everything they could to preserve the win.

Flashes pitcher John Birkbeck (2-0, 7.00 ERA) improved his record on the season after earning the win. Eli Martin, Josh Pierce and Brian Clark all pitched in relief, combining to toss 5 1/3 innings without allowing a hit or run.

Youngstown State started the doubleheader winning the first game 10-4. The Penguins scored four in the third inning and six runs in the fifth inning.

Kent State briefly led the game 1-0 in the first inning when Toadvine reached third on a misplayed ball hit to the outfield and scored on a Polen ground out.

Youngstown pitcher Blake Aquadro held the Flashes with only one run through five innings before the Flashes’ Jeff Revesz singled to lead off the sixth inning. Revesz’s single started a three-run inning as Polen followed him with a walk. Campbell tripled to right-center to score both Revesz and Polen. George Roberts hit a sacrifice fly ball to centerfield to score Campbell to finish the scoring for Kent State.

“In that first game, we came out flat and struggled a little bit,” first baseman George Roberts said. “You learn from those things. The second game we were aggressive early, which helped out.”

The Flashes will have two days to rest before Bowling Green comes to town for a three-game series. The first pitch is at 6 p.m. Friday.

“I think it was a day of ups and downs for us,” Polen said. “Obviously, we didn’t play well the first game. [We] came out the second game and played a little bit better, and we just want to take that momentum into Bowling Green this weekend.”

Contact Kevin Battaglia at [email protected].