Flashes Drop Another One-Run Game
ATHENS, Ohio- Following a long Friday doubleheader and a late night trip to Athens, Kent State (26-27, 11-10) fell to Ohio 3-2 Saturday. The victory clinches a first-round bye for the Bobcats (27-27, 13-8) at next week's conference tournament.
All three Ohio runs came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Lauren Gellerman led off with an infield single. Raven King sent an RBI double to right center. The Golden Flashes had a chance to get away with allowing just one run, but a passed ball on a strikeout helped extend the inning and an infield error brought home the third run, following two more singles.
"A lot of little things didn't go our way in the fourth" Head Coach Karen Linder said. "They really only had one hard hit all day. We bobbled two balls in the infield in the fourth and made decisions to throw to bases where we didn't get the out twice."
For the second straight day, the Flashes threatened with a sixth-inning comeback attempt. Freshman Kim Kirkpatrick (Olmsted Falls, Ohio) hit a one-out infield single. Two batters later, senior Jess Blanton (Wheelersburg, Ohio) lifted a two-run homer to left. But it would be Kent State's last hit of the game.
"Our hitting has been in a little bit of a hitting funk," Linder said.
Junior starter Danielle Abernathy (Adairsville, Ga.) allowed just one hit in her first three innings. She was replaced in the fourth by sophomore Lauren McNeil (Akron, Ohio), who did not allow a run in 2.1 innings.
Ohio starter Lauren McClary allowed just three hits and struck out six in her complete game win.
Kent State and Ohio will close out their regular seasons Sunday in a rematch at 1 p.m.
