Kent State University
1-2
LIU Brooklyn
1-2
Kent State Trounces Penn State in Nightcap
2/9/2019 7:23:00 PM | Softball
Fort Myers, Fla. – Kent State (2-2) closed out play Saturday afternoon with an, 11-0, run-rule victory over Penn State (1-2) at the FGCU Kickoff Classic. The Golden Flashes have now beaten a Power 5 school for the seventh straight season and it's head coach Eric Oakley's fourth win over a Big 10 Conference school.
Redshirt freshman pitcher Andrea Scali set the tone for the Golden Flashes throwing her second one-hitter of the weekend with 10 strikeouts, and senior Hunter Brancifort registered a five RBI game against the Nittany Lions.
Kent State fell in the first game of the doubleheader to LIU Brooklyn (1-2), 3-1.
Game 1: LIU Brooklyn 3, Kent State 1
The Blackbirds took the lead in the first inning with a two out base hit to left field, but the Golden Flashes tied up the game in the top of the second on sophomore Kennadie Goth's double to left that plated redshirt sophomore Kellie Abeska.
LIU Brooklyn took the lead for good in the fourth inning on an errant throw to center while a runner was stealing second. The Blackbirds scored an insurance run in the sixth inning and held on, 3-1.
Kent State sophomore Carlee Selle banged a pinch hit single down the left field line with two outs to bring the tying run to the plate to give KSU a chance.
Freshman Anilese Kelly started for Kent State and threw two innings allowing two hits, one earned run with two walks and a strikeout. Junior Madi Huck (0-2) pitched the final four innings in relief and allowed seven hits while allowing one earned run with two walks and two strikeouts. LIU Brooklyn pitcher Haley Irvis (1-1) went seven frames and scattered eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Abeska highlighted the Flashes offense with a 2-for-3 day with a run scored.
Game 2: Kent State 11, Penn State 0 (5 innings)
Scali was humming from the first pitch and struck out the Penn State side in order to begin the game. The Flashes bats showed out in the first inning when the Brownfield sisters, Bailey and Brenna, cranked back-to-back doubles to take a, 2-0, lead. With the bases loaded Brancifort walloped a grand slam off the videoboard in leftfield to cap off a six run Flashes first frame.
KSU added another tally in the third when sophomore Kaitlyn Miller laid down a perfect placed bunt single down the right side that scored sophomore Alexis Taube.
The Flashes put up another crooked number in the fourth that began with a Brancifort RBI groundout that capped off her five RBI day. Senior pinch hitter Hailey Hopkins then hit a line drive single to right and Abeska recorded an RBI groundout. Goth scored on a wild pitch to cap off the frame.
Scali (2-0) dazzled in her five innings and allowed one hit with 10 strikeouts to no walks. Penn State's Kylee Lingenfelter (0-1) took the loss and allowed six runs on four hits.
Up Next
Kent State is back in action Sunday, Feb. 10 at 9 a.m. against the Nittany Lions to close out the FGCU Kickoff Classic.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Scali, Andrea (2-0)
L: Lingenfelter (0-1)
Base Running:
HBP: Vallejos 1 ; Elling 1
Batting:
2B: Brownfield, Bailey 1 ; Brownfield, Brenna 1
HR: Brancifort, Hunter 1
RBI: Miller, Kaitlyn 1 ; Abeska, Kellie 1 ; Brownfield, Bailey 1 ; Taube, Alexis 1 ; Brancifort, Hunter 5 ; Hopkins, Hailey 1
SH: Abeska, Kellie 1 ; Cegledy, Maria 1 ; Brancifort, Hunter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Miller, Kaitlyn 1 ; Brownfield, Bailey 1 ; Brownfield, Brenna 1 ; Selle, Carlee 1 ; Anderson, Sydney 1 ; Taube, Alexis 3 ; Brancifort, Hunter 2 ; Goth, Kennadie 1
