Top-seed Kent State advances, sends Toledo to date with EMU

No. 1 seed Kent State scored the winning run in the ninth inning to defeat No. 5 seed Toledo, 3-2, on Thursday night at the MAC Baseball Tournament at All Pro Freight Stadium.

In the top of the ninth inning Kent State’s Conner Simonetti singled to right center and advanced to second on Tim Dalporto’s sacrifice. Dom Iero tripled to right center to score Simonetti to give Kent State the 3-2 win.

With the win Kent State will advance to next play on Saturday, May 28 at 1:00 pm ET against the winner of the Toledo and No. 8 seed Eastern Michigan contest, which will start on Friday, May 27 at 4:30 pm ET.

Toledo opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning as A.J. Montoya deposited Andy Ravel’s delivery over the wall in left center for a home run and the early 1-0 lead.

Kent State responded in the top of the fourth inning as Conner Simonetti homered to left center to give the Golden Flashes a 2-1 lead. Mason Mamarella walked to start the inning and then after two outs Simonetti’s two-run blast gave Kent State its first lead.

Toledo tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out, Ross Adolph started a rally with an infield single and then he stole second base. Lucas Sokol singled to left field and Matt Hansen’s single up the middle scored Sokol to knot the contest, 2-2.