Kent State Holds Off Ball State in Elimination Game
MAC Softball Championship Central
Official Bracket
No. 2 Kent State 4, No. 6 Ball State 1
Boxscore
VIDEO: Kent State Head Coach Eric Oakley
VIDEO: Kent State's Shelby Hard
AKRON, Ohio – Kent State (26-23) defeated Ball State (34-20) 4-1 at Firestone Stadium on Friday morning at Firestone Stadium in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The No. 2 seeded Golden Flashes advance in the loser's bracket and will now battle No. 5 Central Michigan at 2 p.m.
In a game that began last night and was suspended due to rain, Kent State scored three runs in the first inning. Kaitlyn Miller led off with a single to center and was followed up by a Hunter Brancifort hit by pitch and a Bailey Brownfield walk. Brenna Brownfield singled up the middle to score the first run and Megan Turnerdrew a walk to score the second. Carlee Selle bounced out to second, but pushed another run across the plate.
The game was halted in the third and resumed at 10:30 a.m. on Friday. Kent State scratched out another run in the fourth inning, as Kellie Abeska began the frame with a walk. Kennadie Goth reached with a bunt single, while Abeska took third on the overthrow and was able to score on Brancifort's RBI groundout.
Ball State's only run came in the fifth on a leadoff homer by Janae Hogg.
Andrea Scali (20-8) allowed only two Ball State hits all game and tallied eight strikeouts without any walks. She is the first Kent State freshman to win 20 games in a year since Carla Brookbank's 23 victories in 1992.
Tieghan Morio (6-3) threw six innings and allowed six hits and three earned runs with four strikeouts and five walks for the Cardinals.
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