Softball Downs Host FGCU, 8-1, to Remain Unbeaten

Sunday, February 14

Fort Myers, Fla.

1:30 p.m.

Kent State University

5-0

Florida Gulf Coast University

1-4

Kent State

FGCU

Photo by: Dave Warren

Softball Downs Host FGCU, 8-1, to Remain Unbeaten

2/14/2016 5:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Box Score (pdf)

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Kent State defeated Florida Gulf Coast, 8-1, Sunday in the finale of the FGCU Kickoff Classic. The win gives the Golden Flashes their first undefeated opening weekend since 2007, which is also the last 5-0 start to the season.

Kent State provided instant run support for sophomore Emily Dobbin, who made her collegiate pitching debut. Michele Duffy was hit by a pitch to start the game, and Arika Roush followed with a triple for a 1-0 lead. Shelbi Tilton added an RBI double with two outs. Bailey Brownfield followed with a single and Hunter Brancifort drew a walk to load the bases, but the Flashes were unable to bring in any more runs.

Maddy Grimm smacked her second home run of the season over the center field wall to leadoff the third inning.

Florida Gulf Coast got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff double and two-out single.

Kent State responded by plating four in the top of the fifth. A pair of errors, a groundout and an intentional walk loaded the bases. Entering the game as a pinch hitter, Paige McCrary drew a walk to bring Grimm home. The Eagles got a popout and looked like they might get out of the inning without further damage, but Ronnie Ladines came through with a pinch-hit double that cleared the bases.

Roush singled with the bases loaded to bring in the final run in the seventh.

Nine Flashes contributed to an 11-hit game. Roush and Erika Warren led the way with two hits each.

Kent State put pressure on the FGCU pitchers early in innings, as the leadoff batter reached base five times. The Eagles' defense did not provide much support for its pitchers and six errors resulted in five unearned runs.

Dobbin (1-0) impressed in her first pitching appearance as a Golden Flash. She had one strikeout and allowed one run on four hits in four innings. Dobbin showed great composure to induce a groundball and escape a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the first.

Ladines struck out four in three scoreless innings of relief to earn her first save of the season. She allowed just two hits and did not walk any batters.

On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will head to South Carolina next weekend (Feb. 19-21) for five games at the Upstate Invitational, which will be played at both USC Upstate and Furman.