The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Kent State
Baseball Falls in Regular Season Finale to Kent State
May 17 | Baseball
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KENT, Ohio – The University of Akron (25-28, 12-15 MAC) baseball team fell in the regular season finale to Mid-American Conference rival Kent State University (32-21, 16-11 MAC) on Saturday evening by a final score of 19-0 at Schoonover Stadium. Despite the loss, Akron clinched its first MAC Tournament berth since the 2005 campaign.
Kent State's offense came out in full force with nine runs in the first inning. Redshirt senior Joe Cochran lasted one out as KSU scored six runs on three hits and three walks to start the game.
Michael Steensen came out of the bullpen to limit the damage after Cochran's exit, but KSU's offense did not relent. Steensen entered the game with the score 5-0, and allowed four more runs to come in for KSU before recording two fly outs to end the first.
Steensen registered a scoreless bottom of the second, but the Flashes offense got to him again with rallies in the third and fourth inning. KSU scored three in the third and four in the fourth. Steensen ended the game with 2.2 innings, eight hits and 10 runs allowed.
Redshirt freshman Evan Jensen came out of the bullpen with two away in the fourth, and provided a stellar 3.0 scoreless innings with no hits allowed and a pair of strikeouts. Jensen kept the game at the 16-0 Kent State advantage, before handing the game over to redshirt junior Jon Pusateri.
Pusateri allowed one run in the seventh to put KSU up, 17-0. The right-hander finished his time on the mound with one inning, two hits, one run and a strikeout.
Sophomore Zach Beaver was the final Zips pitcher of the evening, as he tossed the eighth inning. Beaver allowed two runs in the eighth to bring the game to its final score of 19-0. Cochran was tagged with the loss, dropping his season record to 1-1.
The Zips offense managed two hits against the Golden Flashes on Saturday night. Both hits came on doubles from freshman James Meeker III and senior Brady Stewart.
Akron baseball will look ahead to a matchup with the two seed, Central Michigan University on Wednesday. UA and CMU will play the fourth game on Wednesday, which is currently scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
The 2014 MAC Baseball Tournament will be held in Avon, Ohio at All-Pro Freight Stadium from May 21-25. All-Pro Freight Stadium is home to the Frontier League's Lake Erie Crushers. More information on the MAC Tournament can be found here.
Due to the series loss, Kent State claims the 2013-14 PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge by a final tally of 8.5 to 6.5. UA and KSU split points for men's and women's track and field this weekend at the MAC Outdoor Championships.
