Pitching and hitting sync up in 13-2 win

VIEW photos from the baseball game vs. Marshall.

The Kent State baseball team didn’t need much power yesterday afternoon against Marshall. Still, the Flashes took advantage of their 14 hits – 10 for singles – in a 13-2 win at Schoonover Stadium.

With the victory, Kent State (22-6) extended its winning streak to six games, matching its longest run this season.

“I thought that could have been the best game all year,” Kent State manager Scott Stricklin said. “You look all around; we pitched, we played defense, we swung the bats. It was a total team effort.”

Down by a run in the fifth inning, the Flashes put five of their first six batters on base and plated three runs. Senior second baseman Ryan Mitchell tacked on two more to finish the rally and stretch Kent State’s lead, 6-2.

“We started out really slow today. That fifth inning helped us out a lot,” said senior designated hitter Greg Rohan, who led the Flashes with three hits. “That put them away. When you put up a five-spot late in the game like that, that really hurts the other team a lot.”

Kent State’s batters weren’t finished yet. Rohan led off the seventh inning with a double, and the Flashes ripped four singles against Marshall relievers Ian Kadish and Brian Mooney for six runs. Kent State also received some help from the Herd’s defense, which had a wild pitch, passed ball and fielding error in the inning.

Eight of Kent State’s starting nine recorded at least one hit yesterday afternoon and seven different Flashes drove in runs.

“You look up and down that offense, we had a lot of guys have good days and good at-bats,” Stricklin said. “It was really encouraging to see.”

On the mound, freshman Ryan Mace worked efficiently for Kent State, using 63 pitches in his five innings of work. He limited Marshall’s lineup to three hits in those innings, but gave up two solo home runs.

Still, the righty held the Herd long enough for the Flashes to make their fifth-inning rally. Rohan said having a pitcher who keeps the game close helps out the offense.

“(Mace is) going one, two, three; he’s working real quick,” Rohan said. “That helps out the offense a lot when you know your guy is going to go out there and shut them out.”

Contact sports reporter Josh Johnston at [email protected].