YPSILANTI, Mich. -  Kent State won four of the final five matches in an 18-12 victory over Eastern Michigan Friday night.  The Eagles led 9-6 at the midway point, before suffering their first loss of the season at Bowen Field House.  The Golden Flashes (9-8) improved to 3-2 in Mid-American Conference duals, while defeating EMU for the 30^th straight time.

“We wrestled well, but not great,” Head Coach Jim Andrassy said.  “And we need to get to great.  There were several matches where we looked good in two periods, but not three.”

The Eagles (8-6) led 6-0 after a pair of close victories at 125 and 133.

Junior Tyler Small put the Flashes on the board with a 7-3 victory over Nick Barber.

Michael DePalma followed with a 5-0 shutout, but Eastern Michigan took the lead back at 157 with Ian Miller out the Flashes’ lineup.

“I think if Ian wrestles, it’s a seven-point difference there and Mack (McGuire) got upset tonight,” Andrassy said.  “So we could have won by more.  But at the same time we won some matchups in the upperweights that could have gone either way going into the night.”

Sophomore Tyler Buckwalter tied the dual up 9-9 with a 5-2 decision of Dean Vettese.  It was Buckwalter’s first win away from the M.A.C. Center.

“Tyler looked pretty solid,” Andrassy said.  “He worked hard tonight.  Now we just need him to become more explosive.”

Junior Caleb Marsh gave the Flashes the lead for good with a 5-3 win over Jake Davis, who’s “always been able to keep matches close with Caleb,” according to Andrassy.

Sophomore Sam Wheeler earned some redemption against Phillip Joseph with an 11-7 victory.  Joseph defeated Wheeler at last year’s conference tournament.

“Any time you can beat a guy that’s beaten you, it’s a sign that you’ve been doing the right things to improve yourself,” Andrassy said.

Sophomore Cole Baxter sealed the team victory with a 5-2 win over Nick Whitenburg at 197.  The only points Baxter surrendered against the 2013 NCAA qualifier came on a reversal in the final five seconds of the match.

Kent State will take a week off from competition before visiting Northern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 8.

 

Results

125: No. 19 Jared Germaine (EMU)dec.  Alfredo Gray (KSU), 9-7 (EMU, 3-0)

133: Vincent Pizzuto (EMU) dec.  No. 18 Mack McGuire (KSU), 7-6 (EMU, 6-0)

141: Tyler Small (KSU) dec. Nicholas Barber (EMU), 7-3 (EMU, 6-3)

149: Mike DePalma (KSU) dec. Michael Shaw (EMU), 5-0 (Tied, 6-6)

157: Brandon Zeerip (EMU)dec. T.J. Keklak (KSU), 9-3 (EMU, 9-6)

165: Tyler Buckwater (KSU) dec. Dean Vettese (EMU), 5-2 (Tied, 9-9)

174: Caleb Marsh (KSU) dec. Jacob Davis (EMU), 5-3 (KSU, 12-9)

184: No. 12 Sam Wheeler (KSU) dec. Phillip Joseph (EMU), 11-7 (KSU, 15-9)

197: Cole Baxter (KSU) dec. Nick Whitenburg (EMU), 5-2 (KSU, 18-9)

HWT: Khodor Hoballah (EMU) dec. Mimmo Lytle (KSU), 5-0 (KSU, 18-12)

 

 

Aaron Chimenti

Assistant Director, Athletic Communications

Contact for Football & Wrestling

Kent State University