Golden Flashes Break Out Bats to Eliminate Akron at MAC Tournament

Friday, May 13

Akron, Ohio

1:00 p.m.

Kent State University

37-21

University of Akron

30-25-1

Kent State

Akron

Photo by: Andy Drabic

Golden Flashes Break Out Bats to Eliminate Akron at MAC Tournament

5/13/2016 6:11:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Box Score (pdf)

AKRON, Ohio – After collecting just eight hits on the first two days of the 2016 Mid-American Conference Softball Championship, Kent State pounded out 12 hits in a 13-6 elimination game victory over Akron Friday afternoon at Firestone Stadium.

All nine players in the starting lineup reached base for the Golden Flashes (37-21) and eight players had a hit. Junior Maddy Grimm, junior Ronnie Ladines, sophomore Holly Speers and senior Shelbi Tilton led the way with two hits apiece. Sophomore Emily Dobbin walked in her final four plate appearances and cored three runs.

Just as it did in Wednesday's win over Central Michigan, Kent State scored in its first trip to the plate. Grimm hit a two-out single and Speers followed with a double to the gap in left-center for a 1-0 lead.

Grimm crushed a two-run homer to center field in the third inning, breaking her own single-season record for total bases with 125 on the year. Ladines and senior Michele Duffy added RBI singles later in the inning for a 5-0 lead.

Akron got on the board in the bottom of the third, but the Flashes answered with six runs in the top of the fourth. Two walks and a single loaded the bases, and Tilton brought in two runs with a single up the middle. Ladines followed with a single up the middle of her own to score another run. After Akron recorded the first out of the frame, senior Erika Warren sent a three-run blast over the fence in center field for an 11-3 lead.

The Zips countered with their own three-run homer in the bottom of the inning to cut the Flashes' lead to 11-6.

Kent State scored its final two runs in the sixth on three walks, an error and a passed ball.

Junior Janel Hayes (12-12) earned the victory after throwing 3.2 scoreless innings in relief. Hayes held the Zips to just three hits. Ladines pitched the first 3.1 innings and had two strikeouts while allowing six runs on six hits.

Top-seeded Kent State returns to action tonight against No. 3 Ohio in an elimination game at 7 p.m.