Big Inning Proves Costly as Baseball Drops Series Finale to Kent State

Sunday, April 6

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

1 p.m.

Central Michigan University

11-21, 5-7

Kent State

19-11, 10-2

Kent State

Central Michigan

Aydin Wright had two hits to lead the Chippewas at the plate on Sunday in their 9-4 loss to Kent State at Theunissen Stadium.

Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography

Big Inning Proves Costly as Baseball Drops Series Finale to Kent State

4/6/2025 5:32:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Andy Sneddon

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Kent State used a five-run fourth inning on Sunday to overcome an early deficit and hand Central Michigan a 9-4 loss in the finale of a three-game Mid-American Conference baseball series on Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.

The Chippewas were swept for the second straight time in a MAC series as they slipped to 11-21, 5-7 league. They are scheduled to go to Michigan State on Tuesday for a nonleague game and then to Akron next weekend for a MAC series.

CMU starter Jared Hanson held the Golden Flashes (19-11, 10-2) to one hit through three innings.

Jake Casey led off the fourth with a home run and Kent State, which entered the game with a MAC-best .301 team batting average, added four more hits for four more runs in the frame in seizing a 5-3 lead.

"That's a momentum shifter right there," CMU coach Jake Sabol said. "I think it kind of took some energy out of our guys in the dugout for whatever reason.

"That's kind of been the story for us; we'll have a great start and we'll have a big inning late or a big inning early and then it's few and far between. We've got to challenge ourselves to get runners on every single inning. We had first and second three times (on Saturday) and we didn't score and today, very similar opportunities and we just didn't cash in."

Hanson (1-2) threw 70 pitches in taking the loss. Max Hammond, Quin Konuszewski, Jack Otis, Jake Brown and Cayden Smith pitched in relief.

"We were trying to push the envelope a little bit with (Hanson) and we know we've got to be careful a little bit in some of those situations," Sabol said. "I thought the guys who came in and threw did pretty well. The bullpen, it's hard to ask for much more than what they've done. We've just got to find a way to play more complete baseball all the way across the board."

Aydin Wright, who batted leadoff for the Chippewas for the first time this season, had two hits to lead CMU's seven-hit attack. Smith, Aaron Piasecki and Mikey Murphy each doubled.

The Chippewas have now lost six straight MAC games. Their three losses last weekend came to Bowling Green. The Falcons and Golden Flashes are two of the top four teams in the MAC standings.

Five of those six losses have come by four runs or less.

"We're going to keep our heads up," Sabol said. "I don't think we have any other choice. We're right in the thick of it, that's where we want to be. We just have to try to play better baseball.

"We keep putting ourselves in position to do things and we're going to do it one of these times. We believe in our guys; they believe in one another. I think they're all kind of putting a little pressure on themselves right now, which is kind of expected.

"As long as we keep our heads up and keep pushing to get better every day, we're going to do it one of these times, we're going to come through with that big hit, we're going to make that big pitch and we're going to get that win that keeps us rolling. I truly believe that. Doesn't feel great at the moment, but it wasn't too long ago that we were playing really well. I think we can do that again."