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Kent State Homers Way to 6-0 Win over Princeton Softball
March 23, 2007 | Softball
DeLAND, Fla. -- Kent State's batters knocked three home runs on the way to a 6-0 win over the Princeton softball team in the opening game of the Stetson Invitational Friday morning.
The loss is Princeton's third straight after a doubleheader sweep at Florida Thursday night, dropping the Tigers to 9-12. Kent State improved to 10-9.
Princeton had only three hits on the day as Kent State pitcher Kylie Reynolds (5-5) was dominant, not allowing a Tiger runner past second base. She didn't walk a batter but did have a hit-by-pitch and another runner reached on an error.
After stranding a runner at third with one out in the first, the Golden Flashes converted, thanks in part to a Princeton mistake in the third inning.
Kim Hamilton dropped a two-strike, two-out pitch into leftfield to give Kent State its first hit. Hamilton took third on a wild pitch that bounced around the backstop long enough to move the runner 120 feet, and the next batter, Jessica Toocheck, smacked a single through the left side that scored the run.
Reynolds didn't allow much to the Princeton lineup. The Tigers moved a runner into scoring position in the third on back-to-back hits by Erin Miller and Stephanie Steel with one out, but Princeton could push them no further.
Reynolds made her first seven outs via the strikeout on her way to 12 for the game. That isn't an unprecedented number for the rookie pitcher, who fanned a season-high 17 against Kansas last month as one of six double-digit strikeout games.
Kent State pushed the lead to 2-0 when Jamie Fitzpatrick pushed a home run over the leftfield fence. It was her sixth round-tripper of the year on a squad that has 12 home runs this season.
Princeton starter Kristen Schaus (4-8) left after the fourth, having allowed four hits and a walk, striking out six while earning both runs.
Calli Jo Varner entered for the final three innings, allowing a solo home run to Kim Hamilton in the fifth and a two-run shot to Chelsey Jones in the sixth to put Kent State ahead 5-0.
The Flashes' final run came in the seventh when Varner hit Hamilton with a pitch and Toocheck doubled her home for a 6-0 lead. Varner finished with four runs, all earned, on six hits with two strikeouts.
Princeton will return to the Stetson field Friday afternoon for a 2 p.m. game against Lipscomb.