Warren’s Walk-Off Single Gives Flashes Extra Innings Win Over Bobcats

Wednesday, April 13

Kent, Ohio

2:00 p.m.

Kent State University

24-13, 7-4

Ohio University

24-14, 6-5

Ohio

Kent State

Photo by: David Dermer

Warren’s Walk-Off Single Gives Flashes Extra Innings Win Over Bobcats

4/13/2016 8:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

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KENT, Ohio – Senior Erika Warren gave Kent State a walk-off victory with a single back up the middle to score Shelbi Tilton in the ninth inning in a Mid-American Conference contest against Ohio on Wednesday afternoon at the Diamond at Dix. The 5-4 victory came in the Golden Flashes' first game that required extra innings this season.

"Every win in the MAC is huge, but we really needed this win today after losing two at their place last week," said interim head coach Eric Oakley. "Both pitchers pitched well for us. Janel [Hayes] pitched well all game, but we felt it was best to go with Ronnie [Ladines] to finish try and finish it out. Coming in with the bases loaded is a tough situation, but she limited the damage and kept us in it the rest of the way. And then Erika [Warren] came through with the clutch hit in the ninth. I felt very confident even with two strikes she would put a ball in play, and she put the perfect ball in play right up the middle."

Kent State (24-13, 7-4 MAC) avenged losing both games of a doubleheader to Ohio (24-14, 6-5 MAC) in Athens last week in which it managed just three runs and five hits off Bobcats ace Savannah Jo Dorsey, who fanned 23 batters and had only three walks in the two games.

A different approach at the plate produced better results on Wednesday. The Flashes were more selective at which pitches they chose to swing and challenged the ace to throw strikes. Although Dorsey only allowed two hits, she issued six walks and also hit two batters as Kent State scored four runs before she was removed from the game after throwing just 3.1 innings.

"We were seeing a pattern where we just weren't having good at-bats last week," Oakley said. "So that was one of the things we really focused on this week in practice. I'd still like to see some more, but we were patient and had a much better approach at the plate today."

Ohio jumped out to a 3-0 lead in its first trip to the plate, as a dropped pop fly in shallow right field extended the first inning and brought in the first run of the game while placing two runners in scoring position. Casie Hutchinson followed with a roped shot to right field that allowed both runners to score.

Kent State got one run back in the bottom of the first. Freshman Hunter Brancifort was hit by a pitch and moved to second after sophomore Holly Speers drew a two-out walk. Tilton followed with a bouncer through the left side and Brancifort scored.

The Flashes scored three runs to take a 4-3 lead in a wild fourth inning that included one hit, two walks, two hit batters, two errors and a passed ball. Warren walked to start the frame. Pinch runner Allie Luther reached second when the Ohio shortstop was unable to gather a throw on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Emily Dobbin. Senior Michele Duffy also laid down a sacrifice bunt, but this time the throw was made to first and bounced away off the glove of the second baseman. Aggressive baserunning by the Flashes resulted in Luther being thrown out at the plate, but Dobbin and Duffy both advanced into scoring position.

Roush was then hit by a pitch for the 18th time this season, which loaded the bases. A passed ball allowed Dobbin to score and Brancifort was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to load the bases once again. Junior Maddy Grimm drew her second walk of the game to bring home Duffy and tie the game. A bloop single to right field off the bat of Speers then put the Flashes ahead and ended the day for Dorsey. Danielle Steine replaced her in the circle and struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

After allowing two baserunners in the top of the fifth inning, Kent State starting pitcher Janel Hayes retired six consecutive batters to get within an out of victory. However, the Bobcats used their speed at the top of the batting order to beat out a pair of infield singles, and a walk by Hayes loaded the bases. Junior Ronnie Ladines replaced Hayes, and after walking the first batter she faced to tie the game, got the next Bobcat to pop it straight up for Warren to catch in foul ground behind the plate.

The Flashes got a leadoff single in the seventh and a two-out single in the eighth, but could not produce the winning run in either inning.

A two-out single in the ninth was the only baserunner for the Bobcats in extra innings, but it was a short stay as Warren caught speedster Deanna Cole trying to steal second base for the final out.

Grimm started the bottom of the ninth with a shot to the right side that the Ohio first baseman could only manage to knock down for a single. Tilton then hit a slow roller near second but was able to beat out the throw to first and reach on a fielder's choice, as Grimm was putout on the play. Freshman Bailey Brownfield followed by drawing a key walk to move Tilton into scoring position. Warren then sent a shot back through the pitcher's circle and Tilton slid into home plate to score the winning run.

Janel Hayes received a tough no-decision after giving up just one earned run in 6.2 innings. Hayes had one strikeout and surrendered seven hits. Ronnie Ladines (14-4) was the winning pitcher after getting out of a tough spot in the seventh and allowing just one hit and no runs over 2.1 innings.

With the win, Oakley has now led Kent State to more victories than any other first-year head coach in program history.

Kent State goes back on the road for a pivotal MAC East series at first-place Miami this weekend. The Golden Flashes and RedHawks are scheduled for a single game on Friday at 3 p.m. and a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.