Friday, March 21
Lexington, Ky.
10:00 a.m.
Kent State University
12-10
2
vs
6
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University of Kansas
21-9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Kansas
0
0
1
0
0
0
5
6
7
1
Kent State
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
2
3
1
Kim Kirkpatrick
Photo by: David Dermer
Big Innings Too Much for Kent State Softball to Overcome on Day 1 of Kentucky Trip
3/21/2014 7:58:00 PM | Softball
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kent State (12-11) played well for 12 innings on Friday, but allowed opponents to outscore them 12-0 in the other two innings. As a result, the Golden Flashes lost both games on the opening day of a seven-game stretch in the state of Kentucky, 6-2 to Kansas and 9-2 to No. 10/8 Kentucky.
"One bad inning in each game cost us today," said head coach Karen Linder. "Both team we played today are very good and took advantage of our mistakes late in the game. We need to do a better job of bringing all phases of the game from start to finish."
Freshman Maddy Grimm gave the Flashes a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a two-out home run to left field.
After Kansas tied the game in the third, Kent State regained the lead in fourth. Grimm reached on an error and moved to third on a double by sophomore Shelbi Tilton. A groundout by sophomore Lauren Kesterson scored Grimm.
Kansas rallied for five runs on five hits in the top of the seventh to surge ahead. Senior Abbey Ledford got the bottom of the inning started with a double, but the Flashes were unable to advance her.
Junior Emma Johnson (7-5) went 6.1 innings and was two outs from her eighth victory of the season before getting into trouble in the seventh. Johnson had six strikeouts and allowed six runs on seven hits. Kelsey Kessler (12-6) threw a complete game, allowing one earned run on three hits and striking out five.
Kent State scored both of its runs against the host Wildcats on solo homers. Grimm hit her eighth blast of the season to give the Flashes a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Junior Kim Kirkpatrick added a home run in the sixth inning, her third of the season.
The Wildcats took control of the game with a seven-run fifth inning. A leadoff single and back-to-back bunts allowed Kentucky to tie the game and place runners on the corners. A double-steal gave the Wildcats the lead. An RBI single three batters later made it 3-1 and prompted a Kent State pitching change. Senior Lauren McNeil walked the first batter she faced, but regrouped by striking out the next batter and getting a 2-2 count on pinch-hitter Emily Gaines. But just when the Flashes looked like they would escape the inning without further damage, Gaines delivered the knockout blow with a grand slam.
Kentucky added two more runs in the sixth inning for the final score.
Freshman Ronnie Ladines (2-3) was terrific in the pitcher's circle over the first four innings before getting into trouble in the fifth. Ladines went 4.1 innings and allowed five runs on seven hits. She also had two strikeouts. Lauren Cumbess improved to 8-0 for Kentucky, going the distance and striking out seven.
"We still have some work to do putting it all together and need to come back strong tomorrow," Linder said.
Kent State is scheduled for games against Fairfield and Saint Francis (Pa) beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cumbess (8-0)
L: Ladines, Ronnie (2-3)
Batting:
3B: Ramos, Dani 1
HR: Kirkpatrick, Kim 1 ; Grimm, Maddy 1
RBI: Kirkpatrick, Kim 1 ; Grimm, Maddy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kirkpatrick, Kim 1 ; Grimm, Maddy 1
Batting:
HR: Gaines 1
RBI: Joiner 1 ; Gaines 4 ; Jolly,E 1
SH: Steed,M 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Samuel,S 1 ; Frazer 1 ; Cumbess 1 ; Gaines 1 ; Stokes,C 1 ; Steed,M 2 ; Jolly,E 1 ; Richardson,D 1
SB: Samuel,S 1 ; Steed,M 1 ; Jolly,E 1
HBP: Samuel,S 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
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