Softball Falls In Wild, 17-16, Affair At Marshall
3/6/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Kent State fell to 0-4 in extra-inning games this season as Marshall scored seven runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Golden Flashes 17-16 Sunday. After dropping a nine-inning battle with Marshall on Friday and sitting through a rain delay before a cancellation Saturday, KSU's hitters were eager to get back on the field Sunday, scoring eight runs in the first two innings.
The Flashes started the game with three straight hits off the bats of Lauren Grimes, Alex Marcantonio and Jess Carmichael. Two batters later, Beth Cinadr singled through the right side to bring home two runs as KSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
The Thundering Herd quickly responded with three runs of their own in the first. After the first two batters drew walks, Jazmine Valle tied the game with a three-run homer to center.
Kent State piled up five more runs in the second, highlighted by a two-run double to left by Cinadr.
The Herd scored its next run in the third, before Carmichael struck in the fourth with a solo homer to left.
"I was happy with the way we kept battling all day," Head Coach Karen Linder said. "We scored a lot of runs with two outs and we responded when Marshall scored."
Trailing 9-4 after four frames, Marshall brought home three runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth to cut the lead to a run.
Freshman Abbey Ledford ripped an RBI single through the right side in the seventh during her 3-for-5 day. Â
The Herd took advantage of three walks in the bottom of the seventh and scored twice, including the tying run on a passed ball.
Neither team scored a run in the eighth, despite having a runner placed on second. The fireworks then came in the ninth. After an RBI single by Mary Holt, Ledford launched a two-run homer to center and Carmichael sent a three-run shot to center, giving the Flashes a 16-10 lead.
Marshall brought two runs across in the bottom of the ninth, before Markie Pozzuto retired two straight batters. The next five batters reached safely, including Valle, whose single to left scored two runs to end the game.
Carmichael and Grimes joined Ledford with three-hit games. Marshall out-hit KSU 16-15.
The Golden Flashes (6-11) will take next week off from competition before playing in the South Florida Invitational March 18-20.
