Broncos Finish Regular Season Strong in Extra Innings at KSU
5/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
KENT, Ohio - Two swings were good enough for seven Western Michigan runs in a 7-4 win over Kent State in eight innings Sunday afternoon (May 3) at the Diamond at Dix. Lexi Jager's two-out, three-run homer in the eighth turned out to be the knockout punch for the Broncos (22-20, 16-6 MAC), who have won seven of their last eight conference games.
The Golden Flashes (24-24, 15-6 MAC) held a 4-0 lead after two innings, but a Western Michigan grand slam erased the KSU lead in the third. Both sides had multiple opportunities to take a lead over the next five frames, but Jager's homer in the eighth would account for the only scoring after that.
Katie Wheeler started a four-run, four-hit rally in the second with a single to right field. With two outs, Holly Finchum beat out a ground ball to shortstop and Leah Archual drew a walk to load the bases for pinch hitter Amy Hair. The junior lined a hit into right center that grazed off the second baseman's glove and scored two. The next batter Jess Carmichael scorched a hit off the pitcher's shoe that rolled to the KSU dugout and scored two more.
The very next inning the Broncos responded with four runs of their own. A dropped third strike loaded the bases for Meredith Whitney, who launched a grand slam to right center field. WMU tallied four of its 12 hits in the third. The Flashes finished with 11 hits of their own, including two in the sixth.
KSU loaded the bases in the sixth with one out, but could not bring a run across. Wheeler and Finchum each singled to set up an RBI chance for Archual, who popped out. Pinch hitter Jess Blanton then sent a hard liner into right field, but Jenn Tschetter made a diving grab to save at least two runs.
Maleeya Coleman replaced starter Markie Pozzuto in the third and tossed 3.0 scoreless innings before giving way to Kylie Reynolds. After reaching 300 strikeouts (season) earlier in the weekend, Reynolds fanned six more batters in three innings, but a hit-by-pitch and an infield single set up Jager's back-breaker.
"Even though it was a loss, it didn't feel like a loss," Hair said. "We kept fighting. And even when we got down in the eighth, we still felt like we were in it."
Hair went 2-for-2 on the day, while Finchum finished 3-for-4. Carmichael and Wheeler each went 2-for-4. The Flashes left eight runners on base.
"This season has been up and down," Head Coach Karen Linder said. "We're very happy with winning the East, but we're an inexperienced team and with that you're going to have ups and downs. Earlier in the season we won a lot of close games and we know how to win close games. We just didn't come through with the clutch hitting today."
As the number two seed, the Golden Flashes will return to action Wednesday against #7 Akron in the first round of the 2009 MAC Tournament at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
| 2009 MAC Tournament Bracket |
