Kent State University
Mercyhurst
Golden Flashes Sweep Mercyhurst on Back-to-Back Walk-Offs
3/25/2026 7:58:00 PM | Softball
KENT – Kent State Softball (14-13, 4-2 MAC) swept a non-conference doubleheader from Mercyhurst University on Wednesday afternoon at Devine Diamond, rallying for 2-1 and 6-5 walk-off victories. The sweep kept Kent State a perfect 5-0 at home so far this season.
Game 1: Kent State 2, Mercyhurst 1
Mercyhurst grabbed an early lead in the top of the first inning getting one across to take a 1-0 advantage. This ended up being the only run the Lakers would get across in the ballgame.
Kent State cut into the deficit in the fifth inning when Ashlyn Porter led off with a single to center field. After Leilani Johnson grounded out to advance Porter to second, Gabby Quinn delivered an RBI double to left field to score Porter and tie the game at 1-1.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Johnson led off with a single to center field then was replaced by pinch runner Kelsey Salopek on first. After Salopek advanced to second on a wild pitch, Quinn delivered the game-winning RBI single to center field to score Salopek and give Kent State a 2-1 walk-off victory.
Riley Miller worked the first six innings and allowed one run on three hits while striking out a season high seven batters. Meadow Ferri earned the win in relief pitching a scoreless seventh inning and allowing one hit and earning one K. At the plate, Quinn led the Golden Flashes with a 2-for-3 performance including a double and two RBIs. Nogay went 1-for-3 with a stolen base, Porter finished 1-for-3, and Johnson added a 1-for-3 effort.
Game 2: Kent State 6, Mercyhurst 5
A similar start in game two, Mercyhurst took an early lead with one unearned run in the top of the first inning before extending the advantage to 2-0 with a solo home run in the third.
The Golden Flashes responded in the bottom of the third when Brooke Aberle led off with a single to center field and advanced to second on an error. Aberle moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nogay to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Golden Flashes took their first lead of the game with three runs in the fifth inning. Alex Trevena led off with a single to the pitcher and Aberle followed with a single to center field. Nogay advanced both runners with a bunt single to third base, and Trevena scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 2-2. Libler plated Aberle with a sacrifice fly to left field to give Kent State a 3-2 lead. After Caleigh Shaulis flied out to advance Nogay to third, Megan Claerhout delivered an RBI single to center field to score Nogay and extend the advantage to 4-2.
Mercyhurst answered with three runs in the top of the sixth inning to regain the lead at 5-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, Nogay led off with a single to left field and advanced to second when Libler flied out. Shaulis tied the game with an RBI double to center field to score Nogay. Claerhout followed with a walk-off RBI single that found a gap in center field scoring Shaulis from second to give the Golden Flashes a 6-5 victory.
Riley Miller earned the win, working a scoreless seventh inning and allowing one hit while inducing two ground ball outs. At bat, Claerhout led Kent State with a 3-for-4 performance including two RBIs. Nogay went 2-for-3, Aberle finished 2-for-3, and Shaulis was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Trevena added a 1-for-3 effort, Porter went 1-for-3, and Libler contributed an RBI with a sacrifice fly.
On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will now turn their attention to their second road MAC series of the season at Miami (OH) University. The series gets underway on Friday, March 27 at 3:00 p.m., and continues Saturday, March 28 with a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. The series finale is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
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Follow Kent State Athletics
For complete coverage of Kent State Athletics, download the official Kent State Golden Flashes app (iOS, Android) and follow the Golden Flashes on social media on X, Instagram, and Facebook for news and updates.
