MIAMI SOFTBALL

RedHawks edge Kent State in series opener

Addy Jarvis picked up the win in relief. (MVSmith/MRO file)

OXFORD, OH  -- Trailing 6-5 midway through the fifth inning, Miami rallied for three more runs on the way to an 8-6 win over Kent State Friday at the Miami Softball complex. 

Addy Jarvis (13-1) picked up the win for Miami (38-7, 19-1 MAC), pitching the last four innings in relief of starter Madilyn Reeves. Megan Nuechterlein (17-9) took the loss for KSU (24-19, 9-11 MAC). 

The Flashes out-hit MU 11-9 overall, with Alexandria Whitmore, Megan Claerhout and Julia Mazanec leading the way. Each had three hits, with Whitmore stroking a double and triple with two RBIs. Mazanek counted a two-run homer among her three safeties.

Kate Kobayashi (2) and Hadley Parisien (2) were . . . 

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. . . the only RedHawks with multiple hits. Jenna Golembiewski, Karlie Spaid and Kobayashi homered.

Miami took an early lead with three first inning runs. Kobayashi's two-run blast started the  rally. Reagan Bartholomew brought the other run home with a sacrifice fly. 

KSU got one back when Mazanek opened the frame with a home run to center field. 

The RedHawks added two in the third when Blaska opened with a single and Golembiewski followed with a homer. That gave the hosts a 5-1 advantage. However, KSU knocked Reeves out of the game with four straight hits in the fourth. 

Mazanak's second homer of the contest opened the inning. A single, double and triple led to two more runs before Jarvis came in for Reeves. Kent State drew even at 5-5 when the Flashes took advantage of a Miami error for one more -- unearned - run. 

After MU failed to score in the bottom of the fourth, Kent State took its only lead of the day with a single tally on Whitmore's two-out RBI double to center. 

Miami got that run back -- and one more -- with two fifth inning scores. Both scored when Parisien poked a single through the right side. That gave MU a 7-6 edge and Spaid gave the RedHawks a two-run cushion with her solo home run in the sixth. 

Jarvis set the Flashes down in order in the seventh. Over her four innings or work, she allowed four hits one (unearned) run. 

NOTES:
-- Kent State and Miami face off twice Saturday (1 p.m. and 3 p.m.). They are the last home games for MU, which finished 2024 regular season play with two at Toledo (Tuesday) and three at Northern Illinois next weekend. 
-- Miami Head Coach Kirin Kumar picked up her 100th career Mid-American Conference win. 
-- Allie Cummins played in her 239th career game, setting a new MAC record. 
-- Golembiewski tied the MAC single-season RBI record with 70.
-- Miami pitchers recorded just one strikeout on the day. However, they did not walk a batter. 
-- Each team stranded six runners on base.