Toledo completed its regular-season slate with a 9-6 win over Kent State on Friday, a result that cemented the Golden Flashes’ position as the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Mid-American Conference tournament.
The Rockets struck first, plating three runs in the opening inning when Cade Baker launched a two-run homer that set the tone for a dominant early stretch.
Toledo extended its advantage with a single tally in the third frame and three more in the fourth, turning a 3-0 lead into a 7-1 cushion. Pitchers Ben Rabatin and Gavin Jones combined to surrender four runs over three and one innings respectively, but the early run support proved decisive.
Kent State refused to go quietly. Ripken Reese sparked a sixth-inning rally with an RBI double, and later added a solo homer. The Flashes trimmed the deficit to 7-5 before a wild pitch, Luke Matthews’ groundout and Sawyer Solitaria’s single in the eighth produced three more runs, pulling them within one.
A ninth-inning RBI single by Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe capped the comeback attempt, though the Rockets held on for the final margin. All three of Matthews, Solitaria and Rienstra-Kiracofe finished 3-for-5 with RBIs, while Reese contributed two hits and an RBI.
Tournament Outlook
With the regular season now complete, Kent State will open MAC Tournament play on Thursday at 2 p.m., facing the No. 2 seed as they look to translate late-season momentum into postseason success.