LeBeau’s Shutout Completes Kent State’s Opening MAC Series Win

Sunday, March 21

Kent, Ohio

12:00 p.m.

Kent State University

5-11, 2-1

Toledo

11-8, 1-2

Toledo

Kent State

Photo by: Gabby Kingston

LeBeau’s Shutout Completes Kent State’s Opening MAC Series Win

3/21/2021 8:55:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

KENT, Ohio – In just her second start at the Diamond at Dix, freshman Jessica LeBeau threw a three-hit shutout and Kent State plated five during its first trip to the plate to beat Toledo, 8-0, in five innings during Sunday's finale to earn a series victory to start Mid-American Conference play. Toledo took the opening game of the day, 15-10, in 12 innings.

The Golden Flashes (6-11, 3-1 MAC) pounded out 29 more hits on the day, including a season-high 18 in the 12-inning marathon. Seniors Kennadie Goth and Kaitlyn Miller led the way with five hits each. Kent State also received four-hit days from seniors Carlee Selle and Alexis Taube and junior Brooklyn Whitt. Selle had a career-high four RBIs in the second game and led the Flashes with five runs driven in on the day.

Game 1: Toledo 15, Kent State 10 (12 innings)
The Golden Flashes rallied from a 9-3 deficit to force extra innings, and then extended the game on a home run by Madyson Cole in the bottom of the 10th, but Toledo was able to push five runs across the plate in the top of the 12th for its only win of the series.

Solo homers in each of the first two innings gave the Rockets a 2-0 lead.

Kent State took the lead in the bottom of the third, as an error was followed by three consecutive singles with Kaitlyn Miller's infield single bringing home Olivia Sborlini. Brenna Brownfield tied it with a single through the left side and the Flashes went ahead on a sac fly near the warning track in center field off the bat of Alexis Taube.

Toledo went back ahead in the fourth with the help of three walks, a wild pitch and an error. Four walks and a grand slam made it 9-3 going into the bottom of the fifth.

An error by the Rockets in the bottom half of the inning aided Kent State in matching their five-run frame. With two outs, Taube sent a single back through the circle and into center field to bring Miller home. Carlee Selle followed with a liner off the pitcher's glove and hustled to beat a throw at first and allow Brooklyn Whitt to score. A dropped foul ball by the Toledo first baseman extended the at-bat of Megan Turner, who then blasted a three-run homer to get within 9-8.

Following a pop-up to lead off the bottom of the sixth, Goth and Miller singled to put a runner in scoring position. Whitt then sent a liner near the gap in right-center that the Rockets centerfielder nearly make a sensational diving catch on, but instead it allowed Goth to score, and it tie it up.

It remained tied until Toledo hit a solo home run in the top of the 10th. Madyson Cole pinch hit to start the bottom of the inning and answered by clobbering the ball beyond the left field wall. Whitt hit a double to the warning track to put the winning run in scoring position with two outs, but a strikeout ended the inning.

A two-run homer ignited a five-run top of the 12th to give the Rockets the victory.

Miller and Whitt collected four hits each to lead the Flashes' offense to a season-best 18 hits. Nine different players had a hit and scored a run.

Gabbie Sherman (1-4) totaled nine innings and five strikeouts in her finest collegiate performance. Sherman was replaced after allowing two runs in the first two innings. She returned to start the sixth and allowed just one run over the next six innings to give her team multiple opportunities for a walk-off win. Madison Hershberger allowed one earned run in two innings, while Grace Saupe and Brownfield combined to pitch the fifth inning.

Game 2: Kent State 8, Toledo 0 (5 innings)
The Flashes scored five runs in the bottom of the first and Jessica LeBeau shutout the Rockets while her offense added one run in the third and two in the fourth for the run-rule victory.

LeBeau (4-5) had three strikeouts and allowed just three hits to earn her second victory of the weekend.

Kent State's first three batters reached in the bottom of the first. Brenna Brownfield then put down a sac bunt to score Kennadie Goth. A walk reloaded the bases, and Carlee Selle sent a chopper up the middle to bring in two more runs. Julia Mazanec and Kennadie Goth added RBI singles to make it 5-0.

Goth collected her third hit of the game in the third inning. She advanced on a sac bunt and scored on a single by Brownfield.

Selle crushed a two-run homer in the fourth inning to allow Kent State to end the game early. The senior finished with a career-high four RBIs.

On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will hit the road next week for a four-game MAC series at Northern Illinois.