KENT, Ohio – The University of Dayton baseball team won both games of a doubleheader with Kent State on Sunday afternoon.
 
With the wins, the Flyers take the four-game series with Kent State and improve to 8-15 in 2021. Senior Riley Tirotta led the offense, going 4-6 with a home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored over the two games. Senior Mariano Ricciardi and junior Benjamin Blackwell each also picked up three hits.
 
Senior Mitchell Garrity moved into a tie for first in program history getting hit by a pitch for the 48^th time in his career at Dayton. He was hit in the first game to tie Cole Tyrell's mark of 48 from 2007-2010.
 
In the second game senior Cole Pletka put up a dominating performance on the mound for Dayton. Pletka struck out 10 Golden Flashes and allowed just two hits in seven shutout innings, finishing the game and earning his first win of the season.
 
GAME ONE
ON THE MOUND
Junior Dylan Keller got the start in the first game of the doubleheader, going 2.1 innings allowing four runs on four hits and picking up four strikeouts. He was relieved by senior Jonathan Brus, who would go the next 1.2 innings allowing just one run and picking up his first win of the season.
 
Junior Bryce Hellgeth earned the save, going the next three innings, scattering two hits without allowing a run and striking out five for his first save of 2021, and the second of his career at Dayton.
 
SCORING PLAYS
Bottom 2: (4-0 Golden Flashes)
Two walks to lead off the inning put two on and a single up the middle brought home the first run of the game. Kent State then hit a three-run home run to go up 4-0 early on.
 
Top 3: (4-4 Tie)
Junior Jay Curtis and senior Michael Cleary were both hit by a pitch and Ricciardi loaded the bases with a single to right field. A walk by Blackwell brought home the first run for Dayton and an RBI single from Pujols cut the lead to two. Tirotta was hit by a pitch to bring home the third run of the inning and Garrity's 48^th career hit by pitch brought home the tying run.
Top 5: (7-4 Flyers)
Junior Marcos Pujols led off the inning with a walk and a double by graduate student Alex Brickman put two in scoring position for Tirotta. The senior hit his fourth home run of the season to give Dayton the lead for the first time in the contest.
 
Bottom 5: (7-5 Flyers)
A leadoff walk was followed by back-to-back singles to load the bases. After a strikeout by Hellgeth, a fielder's choice brought home the run and cut the UD lead to two.
 
Top 7: (10-5 Flyers)
Tirotta and graduate student Eddie Pursinger hit back-to-back doubles to make it 8-5 Dayton. Garrity would reach on an error, scoring Pursinger and advancing to second himself. Junior Jake Silverstein would hit a two-out ball back up the middle for his first RBI of the season, giving the game its final score.
 
GAME TWO
ON THE MOUND
Pletka would tie his career high with 10 strikeouts in his best outing to date this season. The senior was dominant the entire game, with his two hits and one walk season lows.
 
SCORING PLAYS
Top 1: (1-0 Flyers)
Ricciardi reached on an error and two batters later moved to second on a single by Tirotta. The Dayton second baseman would score on a throwing error to put the Flyers on the board.
 
Top 3: (4-0 Flyers)
Pujols and Tirotta each singled to open up the inning and Pursinger's triple down the right field line scored them both to make it a three-run lead. Garrity would lay down a bunt to score Pursinger from third on the next pitch to give the Flyers a 4-0 lead and the game its final score.
 
UP NEXT
The Flyers will return to action on Tuesday, March 30 for a home game with Akron. The game is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+ and the first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.