Kent State University
18-13, 0
Toledo
17-13, 0
Kent State Drops Twinbill Saturday at Toledo
4/6/2024 7:52:00 PM | Softball
TOLEDO, Ohio – Kent State dropped two games to host Toledo on Saturday afternoon, 8-4 and 4-3.
The Golden Flashes (18-14, 4-6 MAC) totaled 17 hits, led by a four-hit day from graduate student Julia Mazanec. Sophomore Bri Despines and Carley Penner added three hits each.
Freshman Megan Claerhout hit her first collegiate home run in the second game.
Game 1: Toledo 8, Kent State 4
After falling behind 3-0 early, the Golden Flashes tied it in the top of the second inning. A walk and back-to-back hits by Julia Mazanec and Carley Penner put Kent State on the board, and Delaney Robeson evened it with a double to score a pair.
The Golden Flashes took the lead in the top of the fourth, as the first three batters all reached, and a sac fly by Kenzie Bromley allowed Savannah Wing to score.
Toledo sent eight to the plate in the bottom of the fourth and scored four to go back ahead 7-4.
A single by Bri Despines and walk drawn by Emily Lippe brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the fifth, but Kent State was unable to score.
The Rockets added a final run with a pair of doubles in the bottom of the sixth.
Macy Irelan (7-6) had one strikeout and allowed five earned runs over six innings.
Game 2: Toledo 4, Kent State 3
Toledo scored in the bottom of the first inning again, this time just a single run.
Kent State rallied to take the lead in the top of the fourth, as Julia Mazanec got it started with a double. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Mazanec beat a throw to the plate on a grounder hit to second base. Megan Claerhout then entered as a pinch hitter and launched a two-run shot to left field for a 3-1 lead.
The Rockets put together three straight hits with two outs in the bottom of the fourth to match the Golden Flashes with three runs of their own and went back ahead 4-3.
Kent State threatened in the top of the seventh, as Bri Despines hit a double and walks were drawn by Emily Lippe and Brynn Libler, but a final rally was thwarted.
Megan Nuechterlein (11-6) totaled two strikeouts and allowed three earned runs.
On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State and Toledo will finish the weekend series with a noon game Sunday on ESPN+.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: KNIGHT (12-5)
L: Irelan, Macy (7-6)
Batting:
2B: Robeson, Delaney 1
RBI: Bromley, Kenzie 1 ; Robeson, Delaney 2
SH: Mazanec, Julia 1
SF: Bromley, Kenzie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wing, Savannah 2 ; Mazanec, Julia 1 ; Penner, Carley 1
Batting:
2B: GRIFFITH 1 ; MOHR 1 ; KROLL 1 ; ERICKSON 1
3B: ENRIQUEZ 1
RBI: GRIFFITH 1 ; KROLL 2 ; BARBATO 2 ; VANDER LUGT 1
SH: GRIFFITH 1 ; KROLL 1 ; BARBATO 1
Base Running:
RUNS: ENRIQUEZ 2 ; GRIFFITH 3 ; MOHR 1 ; KROLL 1 ; ERICKSON 1
HBP: ENRIQUEZ 1
