Flashes Drop Pair of Close Contests to RMU

Wednesday, March 30

Moon Township, Pa

3:00 p.m.

Kent State University

20-8

Robert Morris University

8-24

Kent State

Robert Morris

Photo by: Dave Warren

Flashes Drop Pair of Close Contests to RMU

3/30/2016 7:18:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game 1 Game 2

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Kent State let a pair of leads slip away in dropping a non-conference doubleheader to Robert Morris on Wednesday. The Golden Flashes fell in the opening game, 3-2, and then saw the Colonials earn a 14-11 walk-off victory in the nightcap.

Kent State (20-9) scored in its first at-bat of each game, but Robert Morris used the long ball to come-from-behind both times. A solo home run sparked a two-run fourth inning to give the Colonials the lead for good in the first game. A pair of three-run homers allowed RMU to rally in the second game.

Leading the way for the Flashes at the plate was freshman Hunter Brancifort.. The Pickerington, Ohio native drove in four runs and was 3-for-4 at the plate. Junior Maddy Grimm had a team-high four hits, including a double and a home run. Grimm brought in two runs and scored twice. Senior Shelbi Tilton went 3-for-8 with a double and two RBIs. Senior Arika Roush batted 2-for-5 with an RBI and two walks.

Game 1: Robert Morris 3, Kent State 2
Bailey Brownfield put the Golden Flashes on the board right away with a home run to right-center on the third pitch of the game.

Robert Morris took the lead in the fourth inning, which began with a solo homer by Lauren Hackett. After a single that fell on the left field line and a pair of groundouts, the Colonials took the lead with a single to center field.

The Flashes had a good opportunity to tie it in the fourth after Maddy Grimm hit a double to the gap in right-center. Grimm advanced to third on a deep fly ball to right field by Holly Speers, but the Flashes were unable to bring Grimm in to score.

The Colonials added an unearned run in the fifth inning. After a leadoff bloop single between the circle and shortstop, an error put two runners aboard. Both runners advanced on another sacrifice bunt and a deep fly ball to left-center made it a 3-1 game. The next RMU batter singled to left field and Emily Dobbin threw a laser to the plate to get the runner trying to score from second base and end the inning.

Shelbi Tilton looked to start a rally in the seventh with a double of the top of the wall in center field. Michele Duffy followed with an infield single to put runners on the corners. Duffy was then thrown out on a double-steal attempt, but pinch runner Allie Luther came home to make it a 3-2 game. The next two Flashes were retired to end the game.

Janel Hayes (6-7) recorded four strikeouts without any walks in six innings in the circle. Hayes allowed two earned runs on seven hits.

Game 2: Robert Morris 14, Kent State 11
Both teams swung hot bats and combined for 25 runs and 32 hits. Runs were scored in 11 of 14 frames.

The scoring started in the top of the first with a single by Bailey Brownfield, sacrifice bunt by Vanessa Scoarste and RBI single from Maddy Grimm.

Robert Morris scored twice in the bottom of the first on a walk, two singles and a double.

Kent State tied it in the second following a double by Erika Warren, sacrifice bunt by Nicki Cregan and single by Hunter Brancifort.

The Colonials went back ahead, 6-2, with a four-run second.

The Flashes came right back and scored seven unanswered runs, beginning with four in the third to tie the game, 6-6. The first three batters reached to load the bases and Shelbi Tilton brought in two runs with a single up the middle. With two outs, Brancifort brought in a run with a single and Arika Roush hustled down the line for an infield single to drive in the tying run.

An error, walk and hit batter loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth. Cregan then drew a walk to bring in a run and Brancifort delivered a two-run single to make it a 9-6 game.

After Robert Morris scored two in the fourth, Kent State added a run in the sixth to make it 10-8. A pair of walks and a bunt single by Roush loaded the bases, and Brownfield hit a deep sacrifice fly to left field to bring home pinch runner Allie Luther.

Olivia Larusso put RMU ahead, 11-10, with a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.

Grimm tied the game on a solo home run, her 10th of the season, in the top of the seventh. Speers and Tilton followed with singles, but the Flashes could not score again.

RMU's first two batters in the bottom of the seventh collected singles, but the Flashes got a double play to get within an out of forcing extra innings. After an intentional walk, Lauren Hackett sent a blast to left field for a walk-off three-run homer.

Kent State totaled a season-high 14 hits in the game. Brancifort had the best performance at the plate of her young collegiate career, going 3-for-3 with a walk and four RBIs. Grimm was 3-for-4 with two RBIS and two runs scored. Tilton, Speers and Roush had two hits apiece.

Janel Hayes (6-8) pitched 3.2 relief innings and got the loss. She allowed six runs on seven hits and had one strikeout. Emily Dobbin replaced starter Hailey Hopkins in the circle and allowed seven runs in three innings.