Softball Drops Pair to No. 17 Michigan

Sunday, March 19

Ann Arbor, Mich.

12:00 p.m.

Kent State University

8-12

Michigan

16-7-1

Kent State

Michigan

Photo by: Sue Eckl

3/19/2017 6:31:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game 1 Game 2

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Kent State lost both games of a doubleheader to No. 17 Michigan, 11-3 in six innings and 3-0, Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field. The Golden Flashes have dropped four contests to the Wolverines over the past eight days.

Kent State (8-13) had a much better day at the plate than in Saturday's series opener. After striking out 17 times and being no-hit by All-American Megan Betsa, head coach Eric Oakley wanted to see his batters make adjustments at the plate and have better quality at-bats. The Flashes responded with two runs in the day's opening frame.

Senior Maddy Grimm led the offense with three hits, including a double and a home run. Grimm drove in two runs and also scored twice.

Game 1: No. 17 Michigan 11, Kent State 3 (6 innings)
Maddy Grimm cranked a two-run shot in the top of the first inning to give Kent State the early lead. Kellie Abeska, who singled up the middle in the previous at-bat, scored on Grimm's 55th career home run.

Michigan had an immediate answer with six runs in the bottom of the first. The Wolverines added two more runs in the third to lead 8-2.

Grimm started the fourth with a double to left-center and advanced to third on a fly ball to right by Ronnie Ladines. A dropped sac fly to center off the bat of Allie Luther allowed Grimm to score. Brooke Dodson then drew a walk, but the Flashes were unable to push any more runs across the plate.

Michigan scored three in the bottom of the sixth to end the opener.

Madi Huck (0-3) allowed six runs on three hits in her first start in more than a month. Janel Hayes tossed the final 5.1 innings and had two strikeouts. Hayes allowed five runs with just three being earned.

Game 2: No. 17 Michigan 3, Kent State 0
Ronnie Ladines (3-8) allowed three runs on six hits. Ladines, who shutout the Wolverines in five of six innings for the second straight day, finished with two strikeouts.

Kent State threatened in the top of the third, which began with Ladines reaching on a walk. She moved to second when Hunter Brancifort was hit by a pitch two batters later. Emily Dobbin then singled with two outs to load the bases, but Michigan was able to escape without a run scoring.

The game remained scoreless into the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back singles were followed by a double down the left field line by Aidan Falk to make it a 2-0 game. Abby Ramirez brought Falk in with a double later in the inning.

On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State travels to Pitt for a 3 p.m. contest on Wednesday before starting Mid-American Conference play at Eastern Michigan next weekend (March 24-25).