Baseball Drops Second Straight to Kent State, 6-1

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball once again braved chilly conditions at Oestrike Stadium, but the bats did not warm up in a 6-1 loss to Kent State University Saturday afternoon, March 29, in the second game of a Mid-American Conference series. EMU (9-13, 0-5 MAC) managed one run on six hits, while Kent State (14-9, 4-1) recorded 15 hits that led to its six runs.

Despite giving up 10 hits, EMU starting pitcher Ryan Lavoie (1-1) managed to limit the Golden Flashes to just two runs while striking out three. Sam Ott went 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring the only run for the Green and White after a two-out single by Lee Longo. Michael Mioduszewski, Nick Rotola and Austin Wilson also picked up base-knocks for the Eagles.

The top two hitters in the lineup, Jon Wilson and Alex Miklos, tallied three hits apiece along with first baseman Cody Koch. For the second straight day, the EMU arms held Zarley Zalewski, one of the nation's top hitters, to a 1-for-5 performance at the plate. Nick Jensen-Clagg (1-1) took the start for the Golden Flashes, lasting seven innings and allowing one run on five hits to pick up the victory.

Kent State struck in its first plate appearances while also adding a run in the top of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. The Eagles responded two innings later for a run in the sixth. With two outs, Ott roped a double down the right field line to start a rally. Longo, batting at more than a .500 clip with two outs throughout the season, lived up to his impressive stat with a single to right to plate his fellow Eagle and make it a one-run contest.

Things started to unravel in the top of the eight as the Golden Flashes used a pair of EMU errors to break open the ballgame. After a flyout to start the inning, a bang-bang play at first did not go the Eagles' way as a throw from third pulled first baseman Mitchell McGeein off the bag. McGeein tried to apply the tag, but the umpire ruled that he missed. A dropped fly ball to left field in the next at-bat put runners on the corners. A pair of hits led to three KSU runs, building the margin to its final count of five, 6-1.

EMU will look to avoid the sweep in the final game of the series Sunday, March 30. Redshirt-senior Steve Weber will square off against Kent State's Brian Clark at 1 p.m. from Oestrike Stadium.

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Team Stats

Sam Ott

Austin Wilson

Lee Longo

Mike Mioduszewski

Eastern Michigan Athletics