Kent State Takes Two Saturday in Madeira Beach

Saturday, February 25

Madeira Beach, Fla.

1:30 p.m.

Kent State University

5-7

Columbia

1-3

Columbia

Kent State

Photo by: Sue Eckl

Kent State Takes Two Saturday in Madeira Beach

2/25/2017 5:53:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game 1 Game 2

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – The Kent State softball team earned a pair of victories on Saturday at the EMU Madeira Beach Spring Invitational. The Golden Flashes came from behind to beat Columbia, 3-2, in their first game of the day and then topped Stony Brook, 11-3.

"After a rough day yesterday, it was good to see the team buckle down and scrap together the win in game one," said head coach Eric Oakley. "Ronnie [Ladines] and Janel [Hayes] both pitched well, and it was good to see the bats come alive today in game two. We need to find some consistency at the plate, and I am hopeful that this is a step in the right direction."

Kent State (6-7) used a disciplined approach at the plate to draw 12 walks on the day and was able to score 14 runs on only 13 base hits. Junior Holly Speers and sophomore Jen Cader led the offense with three hits each. Speers launched her sixth home run of the season against Columbia and scored three runs, while Cader hit two doubles and had a team-high four RBIs. Sophomore Bailey Brownfield continued her terrific start with two doubles, three RBIs, two runs scored and two walks.

In the circle, seniors Janel Hayes and Ronnie Ladines each threw a complete game victory. Ladines also made an impact with her bat, driving in three runs on a double and a sac fly.

Game 1: Kent State 3, Columbia 2
Ronnie Ladines (2-3) allowed just three hits and drove in the winning run with a clutch double with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning to snap Kent State's five-game skid with a 3-2 win over Columbia.

Ladines was terrific in throwing her second complete game in as many games and finished with six strikeouts. She did not allow a hit until the fourth inning and held the Lions to just three in the game.

Columbia opened the scoring with a solo home run in the fourth and added another solo shot in the fifth.

Vanessa Scoarste started a big fifth inning for the Golden Flashes with a double to the gap to left-center. A sac bunt and a pair of walks loaded the bases before Scoarste sprinted home on a wild pitch to get the Flashes on the board. After the Flashes made the second out of the frame, Ladines launched a ball that ricocheted off the top o the wall and brought in two runs for a 3-2 lead.

Columbia loaded the bases with a hit batter, a double and a walk, but Ladines got a huge strikeout and a fielder's choice to end the threat and maintain the lead.

Kent State collected five hits in the game. Emily Dobbin and Maddy Grimm both batted 1-for-1 in the game. Dobbin executed two sac bunts, while Grimm drew two walks. Bailey Brownfield was walked to extend her reached-base streak to 12 games.

Game 2: Kent State 11, Stony Brook 3
Kent State put up a crooked number in four different innings to beat Stony Brook, 11-3.

Holly Speers gave the Flashes the lead with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning. Bailey Brownfield, who hit a two-out double, scored on the Speers blast.

The Flashes added four runs in the third. Vanessa Scoarste brought in a run on an error by the Stony Brook shortstop. After Speers was intentionally walked to load the bases, an error by the catcher allowed another run to score. Jen Cader then delivered a two-run single for a 6-0 lead.

The Seawolves put three runs on the board in the bottom of the third, but Kent State answered with three runs of its own in the top of the fourth. An error, a walk and an infield single loaded the bases, and a sac fly by Ronnie Ladines brought Scoarste in to score. Cader then cleared the bases with a double to left-center.

Brownfield added a two-run double in the seventh inning for the final runs of the game.

Speers got a hit in all three of her official at-bats and was walked intentionally in her other plate appearance. She had two RBIs and scored three times. Cader had a career-high four RBIs and Brownfield hit two doubles and drove in two runs.

Janel Hayes (4-2) struck out five batters and did not issue any walks in a complete game effort. Hayes allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits.

On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will play Manhattan in the final game of the EMU Madeira Beach Spring Invitational on Sunday at 2 p.m.