Ladines’ Two-Hitter Highlights Split at Upstate Invitational

Saturday, February 20

Greenville, S.C.

3:00 p.m.

Kent State University

7-1

Furman University

4-6

Kent State

Furman

Photo by: Dave Warren

Ladines’ Two-Hitter Highlights Split at Upstate Invitational

2/20/2016 8:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game 1 Game 2

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Kent State softball team shook off its first defeat of the season to earn a split of Saturday's games on the second day of the Upstate Invitational. Playing both games at Furman University, the Golden Flashes lost to the host Paladins, 6-1, to start the day and then finished a weekend sweep of North Carolina Central with a 3-0 victory.

The Golden Flashes are now 8-1 and the 7-0 start is the third-best in program history.

"We just didn't get the timely hits we needed," said interim head coach Eric Oakley of his team's loss. "Our defense was a little shaky as well, but bounced back and made some stellar plays that kept our lead safe in the second game."

Kent State collected 13 hits on the day, as senior Michele Duffy led the way with a 4-for-7 performance. Junior Nicole Teefy singled in both of her pinch-hit appearances.

Game 1: Furman 6, Kent State 1
A missed opportunity to put runs on the board in the opening frame hurt Kent State in its first game of the day. Michele Duffy reached on an infield single to start the game and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt and groundout. Furman elected to pitch around Maddy Grimm and Shelbi Tilton was hit by the first pitch she saw to load the bases. Paladins starting pitcher Emily Demonte then got out of the inning with a fly out to center field.

Furman took a 1-0 lead with a leadoff triple and sacrifice fly to start the bottom of the first inning. The Paladins added two runs on a single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third and took a 4-0 lead on a solo home run in the fifth.

Nicole Teefy helped Kent State score its first run with a pinch-hit single to left field in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Paige McCrary went the opposite way to score pinch runner Maddy Grimm.

Furman scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth for the final score.

The Flashes were outhit in the game, 11-8. Duffy led the way with two hits. Grimm was walked twice and did not record an official at-bat, but scored the team's only run.

Janel Hayes (2-1) pitched four innings and allowed three runs on five hits. Hayes recorded two strikeouts and had two walks. Emily Dobbin threw the final two innings for the Flashes and allowed three runs on six hits.

Game 2: Kent State 3, N.C. Central 0
Kent State struck for two runs in the opening frame, which is all the run support that starting pitcher Ronnie Ladines needed. Ladines allowed a single to the first batter she faced and did not surrender another hit until the seventh. She displayed great command and had seven strikeouts and zero walks.

Michele Duffy collected a leadoff single for the second game in a row. An error on a sacrifice bunt by Arika Roush placed two runners in scoring position. Maddy Grimm and Bailey Brownfield each brought in a run with groundouts to the right side for a 2-0 lead.

Neither team scored again until the seventh inning. Erika Warren drew a leadoff walk and her pinch runner, Paige McCrary, scored on a two-out triple by Roush.

On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State wraps up the weekend at USC Upstate at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Spartans are unbeaten (6-0) and receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25.