RedHawks Earn spot in MAC Tournament with 9-8 Victory at KSU

Sunday, May 5

Kent, Ohio

1 p.m.

Miami University

24-20, 0

Kent State University

23-23, 0

Miami

Kent State Baseball

Photo by: Kethan Babu

RedHawks Earn spot in MAC Tournament with 9-8 Victory at KSU

5/5/2024 7:54:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

KENT, Ohio— The RedHawks topped Kent State 9-8 Sunday to clinch a spot in the MAC Baseball Championship. Garrison Barile sealed the victory by hitting a single up the middle in the top of the ninth to bring Zach MacDonald home. The RedHawks rise to 24-20 (16-11 MAC) with the win, while Kent State drops to 23-23 (13-11 MAC).

HOW IT HAPPENED

Dillon Baker led off the game with a walk, and Batusich hit a double to move Baker to third base. Miami's first run then came on a single up the middle by Ryland Zaborowski.
Evan Appelwick then doubled down the right field line, scoring Batusich and advancing Zaborowski to third.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, David Novak delivered a three-run homer to right center to round out a 5-0 start for the RedHawks.
Patrick Mastrian IV struck out two batters and kept Kent State scoreless in the bottom of the first.
MacDonald hit a home run to right field, his 17th of the year, to extend the lead to 6-0 in the second.
Kent State got on the board in the bottom of the second with a home run down the left field line by Michael McNamara.
The Flashes tacked on another home run in the bottom of the third, this time via Ripken Reese, to make it 6-2.
Tim Orr walked to continue Kent State's offensive effort and advanced to second on a single by Kyle Jackson. Brody Williams then slashed the Flashes' deficit to one with a three-run home run to left field.
Tyler Gordon singled in the top of the fourth and stole second. MacDonald sent him to home plate with a single to right field to make it a 7-5 ball game.
Kent State rallied with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, beginning with a single by Hunter Klotz. A walk advanced Klotz to second, and Ripken tied the game with a double to left field that cleared the bases.
Josh Johnson singled to left field to score Reese and give his team its first lead of the game at 8-7.
Olejnik allowed just one hit in the sixth and held the Flashes scoreless to keep Miami within one.
Batusich singled up the middle in the top of the seventh. Appelwick followed suit with a single up the middle. Coming in to pinch hit, Barile doubled down the right field foul line, tying the ballgame at eight apiece.
Olejnik and Carson Byers managed three outs and no hits in the seventh, and Byers pitched a runless eighth inning to hold the tie in place headed into the ninth.
MacDonald started the top of the ninth by singling up the middle. Zaborowski was then intentionally walked to put runners on first and second. Barile singled to bring in MacDonald and give Miami a 9-8 lead.
Byers closed out the game in the bottom of the ninth by recording three straight outs to help the RedHawks edge Kent State 9-8.

MIAMI GAME NOTES

Batusich went 2-for-4 with two runs.
MacDonald went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a home run.
David Novak went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and one run.
Appelwick went 2-for-5 with one RBI and one run.
Barile went 2-for-2 with two RBI.
Carson Byers faced nine batters in 2.2 innings, giving up one hit and recording four strikeouts.

UP NEXT:
Miami will face off against the Ohio Bobcats at McKee Field in a three-game homestand beginning May 10.