Kent State University
Youngstown State
Scali No-Hits Penguins
3/20/2019 8:03:00 PM | Softball
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio –Pitcher Andrea Scali became the first Kent State freshman to throw a no-hitter in over 10 years when she held Youngstown State hitless in a five inning 10-0 victory at the YSU Softball Complex on Wednesday evening. It's the first no-hitter for Kent State since Ronnie Ladines fired a perfect game Buffalo in 2017.
Kent State fell in the nightcap 4-3 in its last non-conference game before Mid-American Conference play against Toledo this weekend.
Game 1: Kent State 10, Youngstown State 0 (5 innings)
Kent State drove the ball from the first inning on and kicked off the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single to right by Maria Cegledy. Hunter Brancifort led off the third inning and hit her team leading third home run of the year to left to put the Flashes up, 2-0. With the bases loaded and two out, Olivia Sborlini shot a single back up the middle to drive in two and give Kent State a comfortable 4-0 lead.
Crooked three-run innings in the fourth and fifth allowed the game to finish in five innings and setup Scali to work a hit-less fifth.
Cegledy went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and a walk. Jen Cader reached base in all four of her plate appearances with a 2-for-2 game and two walks while driving in a run. Brancifort was 2-for-4 and scored a career-high four runs.
After losing a no-hitter in the seventh inning earlier this year to North Texas, Scali (7-6) sealed the deal this time around in five innings and struck out seven while walking four. The Parma, Ohio native became the first KSU freshman to toss a no-hitter since Markie Pozzuto in 2008 in a 9-0 win over North Carolina Central.
Ellie Buffenbarger (1-9) started the game for the Penguins and pitched three innings allowing eight hits while allowing four earned runs.
Game 2: Youngstown State 4, Kent State 3
The Penguins scored first in the third on a three-run blast. Kent State was quick to respond with a crooked number in the top of the fourth. Hailey Hopkins doubled to left and drove in Cegledy and pinch runner Brooklyn Whitt. Kaitlyn Miller followed up with a base knock to right that scored Hopkins.
Youngstown State pushed the go-ahead run across in the fourth on a wild pitch. KSU had a chance to tie in the seventh with a one out double from Brancifort, but the Flashes could not score.
Madi Huck (0-7) pitched six innings and allowed four hits and three earned runs. She struck out three and walked three. Addy Jarvis (5-6) allowed 10 hits and three earned with two walks allowed and seven strikeouts.
Up Next
Kent State will begin MAC play later this week with a three-game series at Toledo. The Flashes will play the Rockets in a single game on Friday, March 22 at 3 p.m. and conclude the set with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 23 beginning at 1 p.m.
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