KENT, Ohio-  Miami scored twice in the top of the seventh and held on for a 3-2 victory over Kent State (26-23, 11-7) Sunday at the Diamond at Dix.  Mary Holt (Providence, R.I.) homered on her Senior Day, while sophomore Alex Marcantonio (North Canton, Ohio) went deep for the second time in as many days.

Holt's team-leading eighth home run to straight away center field, came in the bottom of the third and was the first hit of the game.

"I pretty much knew it was gone off the bat," Holt said of the 3-2 pitch from MAC Pitcher of the Year Jessica Simpson.  "That whole at bat was a good battle."

Freshman Emma Johnson (Groveport, Ohio) did not surrender a hit until the top of the fourth, when a two-out bloop went just over the outstretched arms of Marcantonio at shortstop.  Johnson did not allow a run until the fifth, when a leadoff walk and a dropped fly ball helped tie the game.  The RedHawks (32-16, 13-5) had runners on second and third to start the inning, but a pair of strong defensive plays minimized the damage.  Sophomore Abbey Ledford (West Liberty, Ohio) scooped up a rocket on a short-hop to second with the bases loaded and threw home for the force out.  Holt later made a diving grab just in front of her dugout.

Marcantonio then put on an impressive display of power, taking an inside pitch to opposite field and sending it off the very top of the scoreboard, giving the Flashes a 2-1 lead.  Freshman Kim Kirkpatrick (Olmsted Falls, Ohio) later walked and stole second, but was left stranded.

Johnson allowed just two hits through the first six innings, but a leadoff double by Allie Larrabee in the seventh led to trouble.  Johnson retired the next two batters and had two strikes against Kyle McChesney, before walking her.  Kristy Arbour then poked an RBI single into shallow left field and a single by Jordan McElroy led to an outfield error and the go-ahead run.

The Flashes put a runner on first in the bottom of the seventh, before Simpson retired three straight to end the game.

Now in fourth place in the overall MAC standings, Kent State returns to action Friday for a doubleheader at Akron.