Kent State University
15-22, 6-11
Toledo
9-32, 2-17
Softball Beats Toledo in Saturday Doubleheader
4/23/2022 8:14:00 PM | Softball
TOLEDO, Ohio – Kent State secured a key Mid-American Conference softball series victory on Saturday, beating Toledo in a doubleheader by scores of 7-4 and 13-2.
The Golden Flashes (16-22, 7-11 MAC) posted a .357 team batting average and totaled 10 extra-base hits on the day. Fifth-year Madyson Cole, senior Sabrina Kerschner and sophomore Emily Lippe led the way with three hits apiece. Lippe had a career-high three hits and her second multi-home run game in the opener, while Cole recorded a career-high four RBIs in the second game.
Game 1: Kent State 7, Toledo 4
Kent State jumped out to a 3-0 lead after Brooklyn Whitt and Savannah Wing drew walks to start the game and Chloe Cruz brought them across the plate with a clutch two-out home run.
Toledo got within 3-2 on a two-run homer in the bottom of the first.
The Golden Flashes scored once in the top of the fourth after Delaney Robeson doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on a liner by Sabrina Kerschner.
Emily Lippe added three insurance runs with a two-run homer in the fifth and solo shot in the seventh for her second multi-home run game of the week.
A walk and pair of sun-aided hits allowed the Rockets to plate two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Lippe finished with a career-high three hits and Kerschner added two hits. Six of Kent State's nine hits went for extra bases.
Andrea Scali (5-9) recorded eight strikeouts in a complete game effort and allowed four runs on six hits.
Game 2: Kent State 13, Toledo 2 (5 innings)
Another big first inning gave the Golden Flashes a 5-0 lead on a three-run homer by Madyson Cole and two-run blast by Jessica LeBeau.
Jada Crittendon was hit by a pitch to start the top of the second and scored on a misplaced ball on the warning track off the bat of Brooklyn Whitt, who used her speed to race all the way to third base. Cole added a single up the middle to make it 7-0.
Kent State extended it to 9-0 with three consecutive two-out hits in the third. Crittendon singled and scored on a double by Sabrina Kerschner. Whitt followed with a single to bring Kerschner home.
After Toledo finally got on the board in the bottom of the third, the Flashes scored four in the fourth on timely hits by a pair of pinch hitters to lead 13-1. Cole worked a walk to lead off the inning and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch before scoring on Autumn Acord's single to center. Back-to-back hit batters loaded the bases before Kiley Lewandowski lined a double to the gap in right-center to bring all three across the plate.
The Rockets hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth.
Kent State's season-high 13 runs came on 11 hits. Cole and Whitt had two hits each, and Cole had a career-high four RBIs.
LeBeau (5-9) finished with seven strikeouts while allowing six hits in a complete game victory.
On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State and Toledo will conclude the series with a single game Sunday at 12 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Scali, Andrea (5-9)
L: KNIGHT (5-16)
Batting:
2B: Wing, Savannah 1 ; Robeson, Delaney 1 ; Kerschner, Sabrina 1
HR: Lippe, Emily 2 ; Cruz, Chloe 1
RBI: Lippe, Emily 3 ; Cruz, Chloe 3 ; Kerschner, Sabrina 1
SH: Cruz, Chloe 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wing, Savannah 1 ; Robertson, Dylan 1 ; Lippe, Emily 2 ; Cole, Madyson 1 ; Cruz, Chloe 1 ; Robeson, Delaney 1
Batting:
2B: ERICKSON 1 ; MOHR 1
HR: ERICKSON 1
RBI: ERICKSON 3 ; AUBREYREED 1
SH: ARIKAREED 1
SF: AUBREYREED 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DIXON 1 ; DENNER 1 ; ERICKSON 1 ; ARIKAREED 1
HBP: DENNER 1
