The Kent State Tusc baseball team swept both games of a season ending doubleheader at Geneva College on Tuesday afternoon. The Golden Eagles played like road warriors as they took the first game 7-6 and won the final game of the series 11-5 to finish at 8-6 on the year and make the ride home a sweet one.
In game one, the Navy and Gold jumped all over the Golden Tornadoes for five runs in the first two innings to go on top 5-0. Kade Rainsberg started things off with a single and advanced to third on a double by Cade Cummings. A sacrifice fly by Easton Guspyt brought home the first run and Blaze Clark singled home Cummings with two outs to make the score 2-0. The Eagles stranded two base runners in the inning.
After two Eagles were retired by strikeout in the top of the second frame, Rainsberg continued his hot hitting streak and stroked another single into the outfield. Cummings drew a walk and Guspyt found a weak spot in the outfield where he surgically placed a double to scored both runners. Lucas Kail then singled home Guspyt and the Eagles led 5-0.
Geneva scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to shorten the lead to 5-2, but the visitors would add two more important runs in the fifth to take a 7-2 advantage. Guspyt led off with a free pass and Kail smacked a double to score Guspyt. Blaze Clark hit an infield single deep behind the second base bag and Kail scored when the late throw to first sailed by the Tornadoes first baseman.
Geneva made things interesting by scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth and added another with two out in the seventh, before stranding runners at first and third on a two out grounder to Kail at short to end the game.
Rainsberg led Golden Eagles hitters going 4/4 with two runs scored, Kail was 2/4 with a double and two RBIs, Clark was 2/4 with an RBI and Guspyt was 1/2 with a double, three RBIs and scored twice.
The second game started much like the first as the Golden Eagles charged out to a 5-0 lead after three complete innings. Cummings was hit by a pitch and with two outs Kail hit a double down the right field line to send the first run across the plate. A second run came home after Blaze Clark was walked and the Navy and Gold called for a double-steal. The Geneva catcher made throwing error and Kail strolled home for a 2-0 lead.
In the third inning, Guspyt walked, Kail was hit by a pitch and Black followed with a single that scored Guspyt. The runners moved to second and third on the throw to the plate. Kyle Stotzer reached base by a fielding error that scored Kail and Black moved over to third. Zach Brannick followed with a sacrifice fly to center for the third run of the inning and a 5-0 lead.
The Eagles added a run in the top of the fourth inning when Guspyt smashed a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Clark and it was 6-0.
The Tornadoes added single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, but the Eagles were still in control at 6-2 heading to the last inning.
In the top of the seventh KSU Tusc added five insurance runs. Kyle Turrentine, Cummings and Guspyt all walked, and after a pitching change, Kail drew a free pass to force home a run with nobody out. Black stepped to the plate and lined a double to left field that scored two runs and then moved to third on a single by Stotzer to right center that scored Kail who occupied the base before him. Black came home on a line out to center field by Brannick and the score stood at 11-2 going to the home half of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, Geneva scored three runs which would not be enough as the Golden Eagles completed their season with their second double header sweep on the year.
Black was 3/3 at the plate with a double, two runs scored and three RBIs, Kail was 2/3 with a double, three runs scored and two RBIs, and Guspyt added a triple and scored three times.
Kade Rainsberg handles a flyout to left field. (Photo by Memories by Lois) Blaze Clark fires a ball to second to hold the runners. (Photos by Memories by Lois)