Kent State University
12-9
Penn State
3-18
Speers Hits Two Bombs Against Penn State and Climbs Program Record Book
3/18/2018 7:33:00 PM | Softball
STATE COLLEGE, P.a. – Kent State senior infielder Holly Speers hit career home runs number 37 and 38 on Sunday against Penn State to claim sole possession of the second most bombs in a Kent State career. Her 38 career home runs are tied for seventh in Mid-American Conference history and in school history, second only to Maddy Grimm's (2014-2017) 69 career dingers.
"Holly Speers continues to show that she is one of the best in Kent State program history as she continues to climb the program record book," said Kent State head coach Eric Oakley.
Kent State (12-9) dropped the rubber match in a three-game series to Penn State (3-18), 11-10 in nine innings, on the road Sunday, March 18. The Golden Flashes held a four-run lead entering the bottom of the seventh inning, but the feisty Nittany Lions rallied to tie the game and force extra innings. It was the first time KSU allowed the opposition to score any runs in the seventh inning all season. Kent State banged out a season-high 16 hits in the extra-inning setback.
How It Happened
Penn State scored first after loading the bases in the first inning a drew a bases loaded walk, but that was the only run they scored in the frame.
The Flashes answered in the second as Brenna Brownfield drove in her sister, Bailey Brownfield, with a rocket infield single to third. Kent State took a 3-1 lead in the third on a Bailey Brownfield RBI single and a Maria Cegledy squeeze bunt.
The Nittany Lions scored two runs in the third to tie the game at 3.
Speers crushed her first homer of the day, a two-run blast, to right center to put KSU up, 5-3.
In the fifth inning, pinch hitter Jade Williams laced a two out two RBI triple down the right field line to put KSU up, 7-4. Speers then sent a solo shot over the left centerfield wall in the sixth to put KSU up, 8-4.
The Nittany Lions rallied in the bottom of the seventh and a walk and a single was follow up by a Toni Polk three run blast. Penn State sent the game to extras by scoring on a wild pitch.
Kent State's Bailey Brownfield came through in the clutch with two outs in the eighth with a two RBI double to left field to put KSU up, 10-8.
The Flashes surrendered two runs in the eighth inning and Penn State's Tori Dubois hit a walk off single in the bottom of the ninth to win the contest.
Olivia Sborlini was tagged with the loss (1-2) coming out of the bullpen. She threw 2.0 innings and allowed six hits, four runs, three earned runs and one walk. Jessica Cummings (2-7) won the game for the Nittany Lions, dealing four innings and allowed 11 hits with five earned runs.
Williams hit her first career triple.
Kennadie Goth was 4-for-5 table setting the KSU lineup.
Speers was 3-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored and a walk.
Bailey Brownfield was 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
Up Next
The Golden Flashes play their home opener on Wednesday, March 21, against the Youngstown State Penguins at the Diamond at Dix. The two will play a doubleheader with the first pitch at 3 p.m. and the second game following roughly 30-minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cummings (2-7)
L: Sborlini, Olivia (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Brownfield, Bailey 1
3B: Williams, Jade 1
HR: Speers, Holly 2
RBI: Williams, Jade 2 ; Speers, Holly 3 ; Brownfield, Bailey 3 ; Cegledy, Maria 1 ; Brownfield, Brenna 1
SH: Cegledy, Maria 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Goth, Kennadie 1 ; Anderson, Sydney 1 ; Dobbin, Emily 1 ; Speers, Holly 3 ; Miller, Kaitlyn 1 ; Brownfield, Bailey 1 ; Cegledy, Maria 1 ; Brownfield, Brenna 1
Batting:
2B: Fey 1 ; Dubois 1 ; Johnson 1 ; Weber 1
HR: Polk 1
RBI: Dubois 1 ; Johnson 1 ; Legg 1 ; Polk 4 ; Arrizurieta 1 ; Weber 2
SF: Arrizurieta 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fey 1 ; Dubois 1 ; Elling 2 ; Johnson 2 ; Legg 2 ; Polk 2 ; Grieco 1
HBP: Dubois 1
