Ball State Halts Flashes' Momentum at MAC Tournament
5/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
AKRON, Ohio - If Kent State is to win the 2010 MAC Tournament, it will have to do it the hard way after falling to Ball State 6-0 Friday at Firestone Stadium. The Golden Flashes will now have to win three games on Saturday, beginning at 12:30 against Northern Illinois.
Senior workhorse Kylie Reynolds went the distance for the third straight day and held the Cardinals to four hits, but all three of her walks allowed proved to be costly.
The Cardinals (42-14) took advantage of two free passes in the first inning and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Ball State had just one hit in the inning, but moved runners over on a double steal and scored on a sacrifice fly.
The Flashes tried to respond in the bottom of the first beginning with a single to right center by Leah Archual. Lauren Grimes then launched a deep fly to center field that Lisa Rozanski ran down and caught before crashing into the fence. The defensive gem saved a run and kept the momentum on Ball State's side.
Cardinal pitcher Elizabeth Milian continued her outstanding tournament run, retiring Beth Cinadr and Jess Carmichael to leave Archual stranded.
"We didn't make adjustments offensively," Head Coach Karen Linder said. "Defensively, we made mistakes that they took advantage of and Kylie wasn't as sharp as she normally is."
Another walk in the third came back to haunt Reynolds as Amanda Carpenter knocked an RBI triple down the left field line to make it a 3-0 lead.
Archual smacked her second hit of the game in the third, but Milian left her stranded once again. Milian went on to fan 11 batters, allowing just three hits on the day.
"The strikezone worked in her favor and we didn't make adjustments to that zone," Linder said. "For whatever reason, we quit attacking."
A pair of KSU errors and a fly ball lost in the sun led to three more Cardinal runs in the top of the seventh.
"When we have a bad day, we usually respond," Linder said of her team's ability to bounce back. "That motivates us."
If the Golden Flashes win its Saturday game against Northern Illinois, they will need to defeat Ball State twice, while the Cardinals need just one more win for a tournament title.
The Huskies defeated both Ohio and Miami to advance into Saturday's 12:30 game.Â
