Softball Splits Pair Saturday at USF Spring Break Tournament

Saturday, March 19

Clearwater, Fla.

5:00 p.m.

Kent State University

16-5

Northwestern University

9-14

Kent State

Northwestern

Photo by: Dave Warren

Softball Splits Pair Saturday at USF Spring Break Tournament

3/19/2016 11:04:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game 1 Game 2

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Kent State came back from two-run deficits twice on Saturday and earned a split on Day 2 at the USF Spring Break Tournament. The Golden Flashes defeated Northwestern, 3-2, in their first game of the day and then fell to South Florida, 4-3, in the nightcap as the host won its 16th consecutive game.

Just as they did two weeks ago in Seattle, the Flashes had to sit through a lengthy rain delay before stepping onto the diamond. Saturday's contests were slated for 11:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., but a storm in the area prevented Kent State from taking the field until 5 p.m.

The Flashes' offense also experienced a delay, as five of the team's six runs on the day were scored in the sixth inning. Kent State scored three in the sixth to take the lead against Northwestern and two in the sixth to tie the game against USF.

Senior Shelbi Tilton went 4-for-8 at the plate to account for half of Kent State's eight hits.

Game 1: Kent State 3, Northwestern 2
Northwestern used leadoff hits and small ball to take a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats' first batter in the bottom of the first doubled and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. After Kent State starting pitcher Ronnie Ladines got a called third strike for the second out, Northwestern's Amy Letourneau brought in the leadoff batter with a single.

Sabrina Rabin singled through the left side to start the bottom of the third. After stealing second, Rabin moved to third on a groundout to the right side. A sacrifice bunt brought her in to score.

Both teams threatened to score in the fourth inning, but ultimately came up empty. In the top half of the inning, Shelbi Tilton and Bailey Brownfield singled in back-to-back at-bats to put two runners on with only one out. The next two batters were called out on strikes to end the inning.

Ladines received help from her defense to hold the Wildcats scoreless in the bottom half of the inning. After a leadoff single and sacrifice bunt put a runner in scoring position, the Flashes threw out the runner at the plate on a single hit to Emily Dobbin in right field.

Kent State scored all of its runs in the sixth inning. Tilton got the rally started with a gap shot to right-center for a double. Brownfield was hit by a pitch and Ladines reached on an error to load the bases. Kiley Harrison was then hit by a pitch to score pinch runner Allie Luther and Hailey Hopkins reached on an error to bring in the tying run. Arika Roush followed with a sacrifice fly to left field that allowed Ladines to score the go-ahead run.

The Wildcats threatened in their final two at-bats of the game. In the sixth, a leadoff walk was followed by a hit batter and sacrifice bunt to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Ladines remained poised and struck out the next two batters. In the seventh, the leadoff batter also drew a walk. A pinch runner stole second and moved to third on a groundout to the right side. The next batter grounded out to Tilton at first base, which prevented the runner from going home. Ladines then struck out the next batter to end the game.

Kent State collected just four hits in the contest, but took advantage of Northwestern mistakes to manufacture runs. The Wildcats committed two errors, issued two walks and hit five Kent State batters.

Ronnie Ladines (10-1) threw a complete game with five strikeouts while allowing two earned runs on seven hits and three walks.

Game 2: USF 4, Kent State 3
Kent State had an opportunity to break the game open in the first inning, but only scored one run. Arika Roush reached after being hit by a pitch to start the game. Roush advanced to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a groundout to the right side. Shelbi Tilton followed with a single to bring Roush home. A walk, fielder's choice and another walk loaded the bases, but a called third strike kept it a 1-0 game.

Kent State starting pitcher Janel Hayes kept USF off the scoreboard until the fifth, when the Bulls scored three runs with two outs. With two outs and runners on the corners, USF pulled off a double-steal attempt to tie the game. After a full-count walk, Monica Santos hit her third double of the game to make it a 3-1 game.

The Flashes had a response in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with no outs on two singles and an error. Maddy Grimm and Emily Dobbin followed with back-to-back RBI fielder's choices to tie the game.

USF's first two batters reached on a hit by pitch and bunt single to start the bottom of the sixth. Hayes settled down and popped up the next batter. She got the next batter to hit a grounder to the right side. Michele Duffy fielded the ball and tagged the runner, but her throw to first that would have ended the inning was off the mark and allowed the go-ahead run to score.

Janel Hayes (5-5) went the distance for Kent State and allowed just one earned run. Hayes had five strikeouts while allowing four walks and seven hits.

6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K

On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will take on Northwestern at 11:45 a.m. and South Florida at 2:15 p.m. in Saturday's action in Clearwater.