Scali Named MAC Pitcher of the Week
2/12/2019 10:48:00 AM | Softball
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Kent State redshirt freshman pitcher Andrea Scali has been named the Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Week for the first week of the season, the league office announced Tuesday (Feb. 12).
Scali was dominant in her first collegiate weekend of competition, throwing 16 innings while not allowing a run and striking out 27 batters. The Parma, Ohio native went a perfect 3-0 inside the circle and compiled an impressive WHIP of 0.38. In her first collegiate start, Scali struck out the side in the first inning en route to a complete game one-hitter with 12 strikeouts against LIU Brooklyn in a 7-1 win. Her 12 strikeouts were the most by a KSU pitcher in their first career start since current pitching coach Emma Johnson also punched out 12 against Weber State on Feb. 10, 2012. The record for most strikeouts in a debut is held by three-time MAC Pitcher of the Year Kylie Reynolds, when she struck out 16 against Campbell on Feb 16, 2007. The win against LIU Brooklyn was also head coach Eric Oakley's 100th for the Blue and Gold and he became the fastest coach in program history to accomplish the feat.
She followed her debut performance with a five-inning, one-hit shutout while striking out 10 in an 11-0 drubbing of Penn State on Saturday. To conclude the weekend, she came out of the bullpen for four frames, allowing just one hit and collecting five strikeouts as the Flashes swept the series against Penn State, 9-2. With her two victories against the Nittany Lions, the Golden Flashes have won seven games in the last four seasons against a Power 5 school with five of those coming against schools from the Big 10 Conference.
With Eastern Michigan discontinuing the sport after last season, the MAC has abolished divisions for the first time since 1997. There will be one player or pitcher of the week across the league as opposed to previous years, when both the East and West Divisions received weekly awards.
The Golden Flashes will take a week off from competition before gearing up for a long 11-day road swing against nationally ranked competition. Kent State will compete at the Baylor Invitational from Feb. 22-24 and will play at least two top 25 teams in Louisiana and the host Lady Bears and have the potential to face them again in the true tournament format bracket.
