Scali Wins Second MAC Pitcher of the Week Award
2/26/2019 9:49:00 AM | Softball
CLEVELAND, Ohio – For the second time this season, Kent State redshirt freshman pitcher Andrea Scali has been selected the MAC Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday (Feb. 26). In both weeks that the Flashes have been in action, Scali has taken home weekly conference hardware. She was also awarded the College Sports Madness MAC Player of the Week.
Scali turned in another fabulous week inside the circle, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning and recording two victories against #21 Baylor. She threw 18 total innings and limited the opposition to a .136 batting average with a 0.78 ERA and 26 strikeouts to five walks while posting three total wins. The Parma, Ohio native allowed the first earned run of her career in the second game against #21 Baylor after 31 innings of work without an earned run.
On Friday against North Texas, Scali took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The Golden Flashes shutout the Mean Green 6-0 and Scali tied her career high with 12 strikeouts. It's the only time UNT (10-4) has been shut out all season. Scali was integral in a historic day as the Flashes won two games in the same day over a ranked opponent against #21 Baylor.
She was dominant in the first game against the Lady Bears as the potent Baylor offense was shutout for the only time this year in the 1-0 win. Scali went the distance and spun a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts. She scattered two harmless singles and became the first pitcher to throw a two-hitter against the Lady Bears since #2 Oklahoma's All-American Paige Parker did so last year on March 29. Her 11 strikeouts are the most for the Lady Bears since facing #2 Florida's All-American Kelly Barnhill on March 3 of last season. The Golden Flashes won their first game over a ranked opponent since a 3-0 victory at #3 Michigan in 2015.
In the nightcap, Scali entered out of the bullpen and received the victory after four innings of work in Kent State's extra-inning 6-5 victory. She struck out three and allowed two earned runs in her relief work, she took the Flashes into extra innings and with the international tiebreaker in effect, did not allow the Baylor runner past third base.
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.
Kent State remains on the road this week with a pair of weekday games against #10 LSU and Southeastern Louisiana. The Flashes will battle the Tigers on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 7:00 p.m. EST/6:00 CST and the Lions on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 4:00 p.m. EST/3:00 CST. Later this weekend the Golden Flashes travel to the Arizona Wildcat Invitational for five games with four coming against top-25 ranked squads.
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