Speers’ Grand Slam Puts Flashes in Flight in MAC Opener

Friday, March 25

Kent, Ohio

2:00 p.m.

Kent State University

18-7, 1-0

Central Michigan University

13-13, 0-1

Central Michigan

Kent State

Photo by: Dave Warren

Speers’ Grand Slam Puts Flashes in Flight in MAC Opener

3/25/2016 6:06:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Box Score (pdf)

KENT, Ohio – Sophomore Holly Speers and freshman Bailey Brownfield provided all of the run production Kent State needed to earn a 7-3 victory over Central Michigan in Friday's home opener at the Diamond at Dix. Speers drove in five runs on two home runs and Brownfield added a two-run shot of her own.

"Every win is a great win, but starting off with some offensive production, especially in cold weather, is nice," said interim head coach Eric Oakley. "We hit the ball as well as we've been hitting it all year, and Ronnie [Ladines] pitched a good game. If the conditions bothered us a little bit, we didn't really show it."

The Golden Flashes (18-7, 1-0 MAC) were outhit, 7-5, but showed patience at the plate to draw five walks and came through with timely hits to produce runs. Speers and senior Shelbi Tilton both went 2-for-2 at the plate.

Speers provided Kent State with a 4-0 lead with a grand slam in the bottom of the third, the team's first hit of the game. Erika Warren drew a walk to start the frame, but the next two batters were retired on a sacrifice bunt and groundout. Arika Roush and Maddy Grimm both battled to earn walks and load the bases for Speers.

"We were putting the ball in play, we just weren't really putting it in the holes," Oakley said. "I give a lot of credit to [Arika] Roush and Maddy [Grimm] for getting walks in that situation to give Holly the opportunity to come in and have the hit of the game."

Central Michigan had an immediate answer, scoring three runs just three batters into the top of the fourth. CarolAnn Sexauer hit a shot off the foul pole in left field to lead off the inning. Katelyn Rentschler then doubled and Chelsea DeLamielleure homered to straightaway center to pull within 4-3.

Starting pitcher Ronnie Ladines was able to shake off the two mistake pitches and retired 9 of the next 11, with the only two batters to reach base drew walks.

Speers went the opposite way with a solo shot to right field in the next at-bat in the fifth. Following a single up the middle by Tilton, Brownfield also homered to right field.

The blast ended the day for Chippewas starting pitcher Rachael Knapp, who allowed seven earned runs in 4.1 innings. Knapp, who entered with the 12th-most strikeouts in the country, issued five walks without any strikeouts.

Central Michigan threatened to rally in the seventh after a leadoff single and an infield single with two outs. With Rentschler, the reigning MAC Player of the Year, representing the tying run in the on-deck circle, Ladines got Sexauer to hit the ball on the ground near third base. Grimm fielded the ball cleanly and ran over to touch the base for the final out

Ladines (12-1) threw a complete game in the victory to match her win total from last season. Ladines fanned five and walked two. She allowed three runs on seven hits.

Kent State and Central Michigan conclude the conference-opening series with a doubleheader on Saturday at the Diamond at Dix. First pitch will be at 1 p.m.