Kent State University
6-13, 0-4
Akron
7-18, 2-2
Flashes Break Out Bats to Beat Zips
3/25/2022 7:42:00 PM | Softball
KENT, Ohio – Kent State opened the 2022 home schedule Friday afternoon at the Diamond at Dix by splitting a Mid-American Conference doubleheader with Akron. After falling 4-3 in the first game, the Golden Flashes took care of their rival in five innings, 11-3, to setup a rubber match Saturday for a point in the Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Challenge.
The Golden Flashes (7-13, 1-4 MAC) slugged four home runs and had five hitters collect multiple RBIs. Sophomore Madison Hershberger hit three doubles and reached base in five of her six plate appearances to lead the way. Fifth-year Madyson Cole also had three hits on the day and junior Julia Mazanec recorded a team-best three RBIs.
Game 1: Akron 4, Kent State 3
Defensive mistakes played a key role in the opener, as five of the seven combined runs scored were unearned.
Kent State got on the board first in the bottom of the third inning after Madison Hershberger was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a throwing error that allowed Alexandria Whitmore to reach third after laying down a sac bunt. Whitmore was able to score on a groundout to the right side by Julia Mazanec for a 2-0 lead.
After a throwing error by the Flashes extended the top of the fourth, Akron hit a double to cut its deficit in half. The Zips got a leadoff single in the top of the fifth, but it appeared the batter would be left on second base before an error gave them another extra out. Angela Cirone took advantage of the miscue with a triple off the wall in right field to put Akron ahead, 3-2.
Chloe Cruz homered to straightaway center in the bottom of the sixth to even the score, but Jaiden Bryant answered with a solo shot of her own to put the Zips back in the lead in the top of the seventh.
With the Flashes down to their final two outs, Hershberger smacked her second double of the game and represented the tying run. A strikeout followed, but a wild pitch allowed Hershberger to move just 60 feet from home plate. Brooklyn Whitt then smoked a liner back up the middle, but right into the glove of Akron pitcher Alexa DiFeo, for the final out.
Jessica LeBeau (3-6) went the distance in the circle, striking out nine while allowing one earned run on six hits and one walk.
Game 2: Kent State 11, Akron 3 (5 innings)
After watching Akron score twice and send eight batters to the plate in the top of the first inning, Kent State scored 11 unanswered runs.
Brooklyn Whitt reached on an error to start the bottom half of the first and scored on a two-run blast off the bat of Madyson Cole, tying it at 2-2.
Two walks and a sac bunt placed two runners in scoring position to start the bottom of the second, and Whitt brought them both home on a double down the right field line. Julia Mazanec followed with her first home run as a Golden Flash to extend the lead to 6-2.
Starting pitcher Andrea Scali re-entered the game with two aboard in the top of the third. After hitting a batter on her first pitch, Scali recorded back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam.
Emily Lippe made it 8-2 with a two-run homer to right field in the third.
The first three Kent State batters reached in the fourth, as Chloe Cruz drew a walk, Cole singled and Madison Hershberger doubled to score both. Savannah Wing added a RBI single to make it 11-2.
Akron led off the top of the fifth with a home run, but Scali followed with three strikeouts to close it out.
Kylie Ringler (3-1) earned the victory, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings in relief. Scali recorded her first save of the season, totaling seven strikeouts while allowing three runs on two hits and four walks over 3.1 innings.
On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State and Akron are scheduled to conclude the series on Saturday, March 26. First pitch of the rubber match at the Diamond at Dix is slated for 12 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ringler, Kylie (3-1)
L: Otani, Olivia (1-5)
S: Scali, Andrea (1)
Batting:
HR: DeVoe, Laurel 1
RBI: Reynolds, Katelyn 1 ; DeVoe, Laurel 1 ; Stevens, Tiffany 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McChesney, Molly 1 ; Macintosh-Houlder, K 1 ; DeVoe, Laurel 1
HBP: Cirone, Angela 1 ; Stevens, Tiffany 2
Batting:
2B: Whitt, Brooklyn 1 ; Hershberger, Madison 1
HR: Mazanec, Julia 1 ; Cole, Madyson 1 ; Lippe, Emily 1
RBI: Whitt, Brooklyn 2 ; Mazanec, Julia 2 ; Cole, Madyson 2 ; Hershberger, Madison 2 ; Wing, Savannah 1 ; Lippe, Emily 2
SH: Mazanec, Julia 1 ; Fiske , Alex 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Whitt, Brooklyn 2 ; Mazanec, Julia 1 ; Robertson, Dylan 1 ; Cole, Madyson 2 ; Hershberger, Madison 1 ; Wing, Savannah 1 ; Ramer, Jade 1 ; Lippe, Emily 1 ; Crittendon, Jada 1
SB: Cole, Madyson 1
HBP: Hershberger, Madison 1
