Resilient Flashes Earn Doubleheader Split with Huskies

Friday, April 1

DeKalb, Ill.

4:00 p.m.

Kent State University

21-10, 4-1

Northern Illinois University

23-9, 4-1

Kent State

Northern Illinois

Photo by: Dave Warren

Resilient Flashes Earn Doubleheader Split with Huskies

4/1/2016 11:09:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game 1 Game 2

DEKALB, Ill. – After spending more nearly 10 hours at the ball field, Kent State split a Mid-American Conference doubleheader with West Division leader Northern Illinois on Friday.

The Golden Flashes (21-10, 4-1 MAC) dropped the first game of the day, 4-1, for their third consecutive loss despite scoring in the top of the first inning in each game. Rain and hail caused a four-hour delay of the nightcap, but Kent State's offense got going once it began en route to a 7-5 victory.

"All pre-season, we've been talking about the dogfight the MAC can be, and today was a good example of what we have been preparing for," said interim head coach Eric Oakley. "Two strong teams battled it out despite the cold and rain today. We took some punches in Game 1 but regrouped and found our swings in Game 2. Credit Janel [Hayes] and Erika [Warren] for keeping a strong lineup off-balance long enough for us to put up some runs and secure a lead. We were getting runners but were missing the one big hit until Erika came through in the seventh."

Kent State was outhit on the day, 16-13. Both teams collected nine singles and four doubles, but NIU's Emily Naegle's three home runs gave her team the edge in hits. Naegle's two home runs in the opening game accounted for the three-run margin of victory.

Senior Shelbi Tilton led the Flashes with three hits and was their only player to hit safely in both games. Freshman Hunter Brancifort, junior Maddy Grimm and sophomore Holly Speers added two hits apiece. Senior Erika Warren had just one hit, but it was her bases-clearing double in the top of the seventh that provided insurance runs to hold off NIU in Game 2.

Game 1: Northern Illinois 4, Kent State 1
Kent State took a 1-0 lead in its first at-bat. Michele Duffy was hit by a pitch to open the game, and Holly Speers hit a two-out double to score Maddy Grimm, who had reached on a fielder's choice.

Emily Naegle gave the Huskies a 3-1 lead with a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the third, both with two outs.

NIU added a run in the fourth on a bloop single by Jessica Rio that scored Bekah Harnish.

All of the game's runs were scored with two outs.

Speers went 2-for-3 with a double. Erika Warren showed off her strong arm and picked off two runners at first base.

Ronnie Ladines (13-2) suffered just her second loss of the season. Ladines threw all six innings for the Flashes and matched her season-high with 10 strikeouts. She allowed four runs on eight hits, four walks and a hit batter.

Game 2: Kent State 7, Northern Illinois 5
Kent State jumped out to an early lead and held off a late NIU rally to come away with a 7-5 victory to even the three-game series.

Shelbi Tilton and Bailey Brownfield started a three-run top of second with consecutive singles. After advancing on a sacrifice bunt, Hunter Brancifort brought Tilton in to score on a single to right field. Nicole Teefy followed by laying down a bunt in front of the plate, and Brownfield was able to knock the ball out of the glove of NIU's diving catcher to score. Michele Duffy added a sacrifice fly that scored Brancifort.

The Huskies cut their deficit to a run with a run in the second and an unearned run in the fifth.

It was déjà vu for the Flashes in the sixth, as Tilton and Brownfield both reached via a double and a walk, respectively. Erika Warren reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases and Brancifort singled to right field to make it a 4-2 game.

A pair of NIU errors aided Kent State in loading the bases in the top of the seventh, and Warren hit a clutch double to right field to score three insurance runs that proved to be the difference in the game.

The Huskies were only able to score three in the bottom of the seventh, as their comeback bid was denied.

Kent State outhit NIU, 9-8. Maddy Grimm and Tilton had two hits each to lead the way for the Flashes.

Janel Hayes (7-8) went the distance to earn the victory. Hayes recorded one strikeout and allowed four earned runs on eight hits.

On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State and Northern Illinois will play the rubber match on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.