Friday, April 18
Kent, Ohio
1:00 p.m.
Kent State University
18-15, 4-3
13
vs
0
University of Toledo
14-29, 5-8
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Toledo
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
Kent State
5
0
2
6
X
13
10
0
Emma Johnson
Photo by: David Dermer
Flashes Take Doubleheader Behind Johnson’s No-Hitter, Ladines’ Shutout
4/18/2014 6:12:00 PM | Softball
KENT, Ohio — Kent State's softball team displayed its ability to win different types of games in sweeping Toledo in a doubleheader Friday afternoon. Junior Emma Johnson no-hit the Rockets as the Golden Flashes' offense exploded to take the opening game 13-0 in five innings, and freshman Ronnie Ladines was nearly as good in a 1-0 shutout victory to complete the sweep.
"It was great to be able to get two wins day," head coach Karen Linder said. "Emma did a wonderful job on the mound and the offense had a really good day. Toledo made some mistakes and we were able to take advantage of those."
Johnson (10-7) was finally able to get the no-hitter that had eluded her, as she threw a pair of one-hitters earlier this season. She retired the final 13 batters she faced and a walk to Toledo's Lani Ernst in the top of the first inning was the lone thing keeping her from perfection. Johnson was almost literally unhittable, as she recorded nine strikeouts and only five batters managed to put the ball in play.
While Johnson was putting on a show in the pitcher's circle, her teammates put on an offensive clinic. The Golden Flashes exploded for 13 runs and 10 hits, matching their highest run total of the season in only four innings.
Freshman slugger Maddy Grimm led off the first inning by smashing a 2-0 pitch over the right field wall for her 11th home run of the season. Junior Kim Kirkpatrick nearly did the same, but her blast down the left field line just missed the foul pole and turned into a triple. Kirkpatrick then scampered home on a passed ball for a 2-0 lead. After a throwing error and two walks loaded the bases, sophomore Erika Warren brought two runs home with a single up the middle. An error on the relay throw to third base allowed another run to score and the Flashes took a 5-0 lead.
Kent State added two more in the third inning. Errors on three consecutive batters allowed the Flashes to score a run and put runners on the corners from Grimm, who brought sophomore Arika Roush home to score with a single to right field.
Needing to score just one run to bring the run-rule into effect, the Flashes plated six more in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kirkpatrick hit her second triple of the game to leadoff the inning and scored on a single up the middle by junior Ariele Patterson. Batting with the bases loaded for the second time, Warren singled home another run. Sophomore Michele Duffy and Grimm then followed with back-to-back two-run doubles.
The Flashes' bats cooled in the second game, but received timely hitting to come away with the 1-0 victory. A single by Patterson in the fourth was Kent State's lone hit entering the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Grimm blooped a double that hit the left field line. After advancing on a sac bunt by junior Dani Ramos, Grimm came home to score the winning run on a two-out double to the gap in left-center by Kirkpatrick.
"We did a good job of maintaining our confidence and composure to put something together in the 6th inning," Linder said.
Ladines (5-5) allowed just four hits in tossing the first shutout of her collegiate career. The freshman had seven strikeouts and retired the final nine batters she faced to outduel Toledo starter Emily Anderson (13-16), who allowed just three hits.
"Ronnie gets stronger as she goes along, and you really saw that with the 5th, 6th and 7th innings," Linder said. "She did a nice job of keeping them off balance."
After being walked by Central Michigan in seven of eight plate appearances last weekend, Grimm was eager to get the bat off of her shoulder and finished with a 4-for-7 performance at the plate with two doubles, a home run, four RBI and two runs scored.
"Central Michigan kept walking Maddy on Saturday, so we moved her to the top of the lineup," Linder said of the change in batting order that was made last weekend. "We're forcing teams to make the decision if they are going to pitch to her or walk her. I think most teams are going to pitch around her and Maddy did a good job of making the most of the pitches she saw today."
Kirkpatrick collected three extra-base hits on the day while driving home one run and scoring twice. Warren also had a big day at the plate as she had a pair of hits and drove in three runs .
Kent State continues its weekend at the Diamond at Dix when it hosts Bowling Green on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Johnson, Emma (10-7)
L: BEERY (0-5)
Batting:
2B: Grimm, Maddy 1 ; Duffy, Michele 1
3B: Kirkpatrick, Kim 2
HR: Grimm, Maddy 1
RBI: Grimm, Maddy 4 ; Patterson, Ariele 1 ; Warren, Erika 3 ; Duffy, Michele 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Grimm, Maddy 1 ; Kirkpatrick, Kim 2 ; Patterson, Ariele 2 ; Ledford, Abbey 1 ; Morgason, Kim 1 ; Gironda, Jessacca 1 ; Kesterson, Lauren 1 ; Hayes, Janel 1 ; Warren, Erika 1 ; Roush, Arika 1 ; Duffy, Michele 1
SB: Gironda, Jessacca 1
Game Leaders
3b/ss
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
4
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
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