Scali Tosses No-Hitter as Kent State Sweeps Robert Morris
Wednesday's Scoreboard
Buffalo 0, Canisius 2
Buffalo 1, Canisius 8
Kent State 11, Robert Morris 3
Kent State 7, Robert Morris 0
Northern Illinois 7, Loyola 6
Northern Illinois 6, Loyola 3
Akron 1, Niagara 0
Akron 4, Niagara 0
Western Michigan 3, Valparaiso 4
Stories Courtesy of MAC Sports Information
Buffalo vs. Canisius
Box Score
Box Score
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo softball team dropped its doubleheader at Canisius on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulls dropped a close contest 2-0 in game one before falling to the Griffs 8-1 in game two.
In game one, Canisius threatened early, loading the bases in the bottom of the second but Ally Powercame up with a big strikeout to escape the jam and end the inning.
Offense was at a premium as the two teams remained scoreless into the bottom of the fourth when the Griffs got on the board on a two-run triple off the glove of a diving Alexis Matheney in center to take a 2-0 lead and that would be all they would need as the Bulls managed just three hits while stranding seven baserunners.
Canisius struck first again in game two as they scored on a UB error in the bottom of the first to take an early 1-0 lead.
The Bulls loaded the bases in the top of the second and Matheney smacked an RBI single through the right side to tie the game 1-1 but the Bulls would leave the bases loaded and that would prove costly as the Griffs broke the game open in the bottom of the third, scoring six runs on six hits and one UB error to take a 7-1 lead.
Canisius added an insurance run on an RBI single in the fourth to go up 8-1 and that would be the final.
Gabby Keller led the Bulls at the plate as she went 4-for-6 at the plate on the day with a double and a run scored.
Up next, the Bulls travel to Oxford, Ohio for a weekend series at Miami (OH), beginning on Friday, April 19, at 3 pm.
Kent State vs. Robert Morris
Box Score
Box Score
KENT, Ohio – Kent State (21-20) redshirt freshman pitcher Andrea Scali threw her second no-hitter of the season and struck out 11 as the Golden Flashes swept a non-conference doubleheader against Robert Morris (13-30) on Wednesday afternoon at the Diamond at Dix. The Flashes took game one 11-3 in five innings and the second game 7-0 behind the arm of Scali.
In both games combined Kent State clubbed 26 hits and Jen Cader had six RBI day with two homers.
The Flashes scored first in the second inning as Brooklyn Whitt stole third base and then a throwing error by the RMU catcher led to the first run. Olivia Sborlini lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score another and give Kent State a quick 2-0 lead.
In the third Whitt tallied her first collegiate hit, a two RBI double to center, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
The Colonials strung together four consecutive hits to score three runs and Anilese Kelly immediately came into the game and put out a fire recording three straight outs to stop the rally in the fourth.
With the Flashes holding a one run lead, Cader doubled to right that scored two and then Bailey Brownfield double to score two more to put Kent State in front, 8-3.
Cader hit the first of her two taters, a two-run shot, to begin the scoring in the fifth. Bailey Brownfield then ended the game via the run-rule on a single to left.
Madi Huck (5-8) earned the win for Kent State throwing three innings and allowing six hits and three earned runs. Anilese Kelly came out to work the final two innings and only allowed two hits.
Bailey Brownfield went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI her 15 doubles this season is the sixth most in a single season in school history. She has 42 career two baggers which is third in program history. Kennadie Goth also went 4-for-4.
Cader put a jolt into the Kent State bats in the first inning and slammed a leadoff homer to left center. The Flashes scored another one on a Megan Turner sacrifice fly.
Cader doubled to score a run and Brenna Brownfield clubbed a home run in the fourth inning to put up a crooked and a 5-0 Kent State lead.
Megan Turner crushed a solo homer to lead off the seventh, her third homer in her last four games. Kerschner scored the seventh KSU run in the sixth inning on a wild pitch.
Scali settled in and did not allow a ball hit to the outfield until the seventh inning and only allowed one runner on an error. Scali (15-7) became the first Kent State pitcher to throw two no-hitters in the same season since her pitching coach Emma Johnson in 2015. The Parma, Ohio native struck out 11 and did not allow any walks or hit by pitches.
Turner was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and Cader went 3-for-3 and was a triple shy of the cycle.?
Northern Illinois vs. Loyola
Box Score
Box Score
DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University softball team wrapped up its five-game homestand with a pair of come-from-behind walk-off victories to sweep Loyola at Mary M. Bell Field Wednesday.
NIU (22-21) came back twice in game one to post a 7-6 victory over the Ramblers (22-19) before earning a 6-3 walk-off win over Loyola after waiting out an hour and 20 minute rain delay.
It was the bottom of the Huskie order that powered in all three NIU rallies in game one. A strong performance by the Huskie pitching staff in both contests proved key in both games.
"I was happy with our tenacity today at the plate, especially in that first game," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. I liked the way we stayed patient. We definitely got out hit, but we made our hits count. We obviously capitalized on a couple of their mistakes, but hung in there and stayed with it."
With Loyola leading 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh of game one, the Huskies came back with a pair of runs to send the game into extras. With runners on second and third with one out, Kayla Scaperotta (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Springs Charter School), who came in to pinch hit for Jessica Rio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield East), came in a dropped a two-run single into right field to tie the game.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Loyola took a 6-3 lead with three runs in the ninth. NIU responded in the bottom of the inning to tie the game once again. With the bases loaded and two down, Sam Schmidt (Lombard, Ill./Willowbrook) hit a bases-clearing single to center field to tie the game once again.
After keeping Loyola off the board in the 10th and 11th, the Huskies mounted one more rally in the bottom of the 11th. Dominique Greeno (Lacey, Wash./North Thurston) began things with a one out single and advanced to second on a Rio single.
Katie Lamich (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) then hit a hot shot to shortstop, who turned to third to try and get Greeno. However, the throw got away from the Rambler third baseman and Greeno came across to score the winning run.
The bottom of the order combined to go 5-for-14 with five RBIs and a run scored. Schmidt was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Alex Frenz (Oakville, Mo./Oakville) picked up the win in relief of Mackenzie Bryan (Elwood, Ind./Elwood) going three and a third, allowing three runs on five hits.
The Huskies need late-game heroics once again to take game two. Frenz, who also started game two, allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits in two-plus innings of work. Like Frenz did for Bryan in game one, Amber Bumbalough (Bremerton, Wash./Kiahowya Secondary) picked up for Frenz in game two.
The Huskie freshman came in to pitch with a runner at second and no outs in the third inning and effectively shut down the Rambler offense. Bumbalough pitched five innings of shutout softball, allowing just four Loyola hits to earn her first collegiate win.
"That's the longest she's gone innings-wise," Sutcliffe said. "For her to have the gas and stamina to pick up her first career win, that was pretty cool."
The NIU offense took over in the bottom of the fourth with a three spot. Katie Keller (Geneva, Ill./Geneva) doubled to left and scored on a Jenny Van Geertry (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) single to left.
Van Geertry advanced to second on a wild pitch and Kara Apato (Oak Lawn, Ill./Marist) walked giving Greeno an RBI opportunity. The Huskie senior laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Van Geertry from third. Apato then scored when Greeno tried to take an extra base on the preoccupied Rambler defense to tie the game, 3-3.
The game was then halted in the top of the fifth due to weather. After the delay and three scoreless innings by the Ramblers, the Huskies avoided a second-straight extra inning game.
With two on and one out, Keller blasted a walk-off three-run home run over the right field fence to give NIU the victory and complete the sweep.
The Huskies return to the field Friday when NIU resumes conference play at Central Michigan. First pitch for game one of the series is set for 2 p.m., while Saturday's doubleheader starts at 12 p.m. CT.
Akron vs. Niagara
Box Score
Box Score
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y.– Junior Adrian Smith (St. Clairsville, Ohio) pitched back-to-back complete game shutouts that included a one-hit gem inside the circle in game one as the Akron softball team swept its doubleheader against Niagara on Wednesday afternoon.
With the Zips 1-0 and 4-0 wins over the Purple Eagles, Akron improved to 10-25-2 overall on the season and concluded the road non-conference portion of its schedule. UA continued to dominate Niagara and won its 12thand 13thgames against the Purple Eagles, which includes 10 straight victories dating back to 2012.
On the day, Smith threw 14 innings, limited Niagara to just four combined hits and struck out 19 batters without allowing a walk. In game one, the Purple Eagles did not record a hit until there were two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. After setting a season-best nine strikeouts in a single-game in game one, Smith bested herself with 10 K's in the nightcap. The day also marked the first back-to-back complete-game shutouts in her Akron career.
The Akron offense scored five runs on 13 hits on the afternoon en route to a pair of W's. Junior Macky Mitchiner (Riverside, Calif.) led the offensive efforts for Akron and went 4-for-6 with an RBI. Sophomore Kayla Wulf (Maumee, Ohio), junior Samantha Malik (Orlando, Fla.), and junior Jessie Holzman (Medina, Ohio) each recorded at least two hits against Niagara going a combined 7-for-20 including three RBI and three runs scored.
While Smith shined on the Rubber in game one allowing just one hit through seven innings of work, the Akron offense needed just one run to secure the win.
Akron's first hit of the ball game was a big one for the Zips as Malik lifted her fourth home run to centerfield to claim a 1-0 lead for UA.
From that point on, Smith controlled the game until the final out was secured.
Game two look a lot like game one but the Zips outscored the Purple Eagles, 4-0, on their way to the team's fifth shutout of the season.
In her second consecutive complete game, Smith allowed three hits and struckout a career-best 10 batters.
The Zips scored two runs in the third and two runs in the fourth. A pair of RBI singles by Wulf and Mitchiner got the Zips on the board in the third inning of the contest before junior Maddy Clowdus (Eastvale, Calif.) and Wulf for a second time drove in one run each with a second pair of RBI base hits.
With the four-run lead, Smith closed the books on the doubleheader and secured the win for Akron.
The Akron softball team is set for a big weekend full of Mid-American Conference play as the Zips host cross-town rivals, Kent State, in another rendition of the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge at Lee Jackson Field on Saturday, April 20, starting at 1 p.m. The day also represents senior day for the Zips as well as Akron's annual Strike Out Cancer day.
Western Michigan 3, Valparaiso 4
Box Score
VALPARAISO, Ind. - The Western Michigan softball team conceded three runs in the seventh inning while its two-run lead diminished with a 4-3 walk off setback at Valparaiso University Wednesday afternoon.
Leading 3-1 heading into the seventh inning, Bronco starting pitcher Reily Galloway hadn't allowed a Crusader earned run, but Valpo led off the final frame with back-to-back hits and tallied a RBI single to trim the WMU to 3-2.
Sydney Stefanick then came in to relief Galloway in the pitcher's circle and nearly escaped the bases-loaded jam with no outs. Despite striking out her first batter faced and forcing a putout at the plate, the Crusaders hit a two-out single through the left side to score a pair for the walk-off victory.
WMU claimed an early lead with two runs off two hits in the first inning. Kaylen Glenfield and Brooke Wyman each notched RBI singles to give the Brown & Gold the two-run lead.
Valpo scored one in the third while a single from Western Michigan's Sophia Ehlers gave the visitors a 3-1 lead in the sixth prior to the Crusader comeback.
Galloway suffered the loss in the pitcher's circle for WMU despite limiting Valpo to one earned run in six innings pitched. Glenfield, Wyman, Mackenzie Swinehart, and Erin Barg paced the Bronco offense with a pair of base hits each.
