Kent State University
23-25, 19-15
Akron
8-41, 7-28
Sborlini’s Career Day Leads Kent State to Sweep of Rival Zips
5/12/2021 7:11:00 PM | Softball
KENT, Ohio – Redshirt senior Olivia Sborlini homered twice and totaled 11 RBIs on Wednesday afternoon as Kent State completed the season sweep of rival Akron with 8-5 and 10-2 victories.
The Golden Flashes (24-25, 20-15 MAC) were held scoreless through the first three innings of the doubleheader but scored in six of the next seven innings to rally and win both games. The scoring started with a three-run blast by Sborlini. The bases were loaded in her first two trips to the plate in the second game, and she delivered with a bases-clearing double and a grand slam. Sborlini's seven RBIs in the nightcap are the most by a Kent State player since Maddy Grimm drove in seven against Murray State on February 11, 2017.
Junior Megan Turner matched Sborlini for the team lead with four hits. Turner also homered and had three RBIs. Junior Brooklyn Whitt added three hits and led Kent State with three runs scored.
Game 1: Kent State 8, Akron 5
Kent State trailed 5-0 entering the bottom of the fourth inning. A pair of Zips errors gave the Golden Flashes the extra opportunities they needed, and Olivia Sborlini belted a home run to center field to get within 5-3.
Megan Turner put Kent State in the lead with a three-run shot of her own in the bottom of the fifth. Alexis Taube, Brooklyn Whitt and Carlee Selle followed with singles to load the bases, and Sborlini sent a single back up the middle to extend the lead to 7-5.
Another error in the sixth extended the inning, and Taube brought home Kaitlyn Miller with a single to left field.
Morgan Bowers (3-1) tossed scoreless fifth and sixth innings to earn the victory. Jessica LeBeau regrouped after allowing five runs on eight hits through the first four innings and retired the Zips in order in the seventh for her third save of the season.
Game 2: Kent State 10, Akron 2 (5 innings)
The Golden Flashes took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a double to the warning track by Olivia Sborlini.
Akron attempted to make it a game and scored a pair with a two-out double in the top of the third.
Kent State took momentum back with six runs in the bottom half of the inning. Singles by Sabrina Kerschner and Megan Turner, followed by an error, loaded the bases with one out. Brooklyn Whitt's liner back at the pitcher was knocked down, but the speedy junior was able to beat the throw to first for a single as Kerschner crossed the plate. Following a strikeout, Kristyn Eckl was hit by a pitch to extend it to 5-2. Sborlini then sent the first pitch she saw well beyond the right field wall for a grand slam.
A pair of Zips errors in the bottom of the fourth allowed Kerschner to score again and push the lead to mercy rule territory.
Gabbie Sherman (8-11) followed with a scoreless fifth inning to bring the game to an end. Sherman recorded four strikeouts without any walks and allowed two runs on six hits in a complete game effort.
On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will conclude the 2021 season by hosting Western Michigan for four games this weekend. The series begins at 3 p.m. on Friday.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bowers, Morgan (3-1)
L: OTANI (2-9)
S: LeBeau, Jessica (3)
Batting:
HR: MACINTISH-H 1
RBI: CARTER 1 ; MITCHINER 2 ; MACINTISH-H 2
SH: CARTER 1 ; DUDEK 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CARTER 1 ; DEVOE 1 ; MITCHINER 1 ; MACINTISH-H 1 ; MALIK 1
SB: CARTER 1
Batting:
HR: Turner, Megan 1 ; Sborlini, Olivia 1
RBI: Turner, Megan 3 ; Taube, Alexis 1 ; Sborlini, Olivia 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Goth, Kennadie 1 ; Miller, Kaitlyn 2 ; Turner, Megan 1 ; Taube, Alexis 1 ; Whitt, Brooklyn 1 ; Selle, Carlee 1 ; Sborlini, Olivia 1
