Flashes and Huskies Split Drama-Filled Doubleheader

Saturday, April 8

Kent, Ohio

1:00 p.m.

Kent State University

15-19, 5-4

Northern Illinois

16-15, 4-5

Northern Illinois

Kent State

Photo by: Nate Manley

Flashes and Huskies Split Drama-Filled Doubleheader

4/8/2017 9:01:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game 1 Game 2

KENT, Ohio – Kent State and Northern Illinois each earned a one-run victory to split Saturday's doubleheader at the Diamond at Dix. Sophomore Bailey Brownfield hit a walk-off double in Kent State's 6-5 win in the opening game and singled to bring the winning run to the plate with two outs in the final inning of a 7-6 loss in the nightcap.

Brownfield's double gave the Golden Flashes (15-20, 5-5 MAC) their first extra innings win in five games this season, and her base hit gave Kent State an opportunity for its second walk-off of the day after trailing 7-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning.

"I'm proud of the team for fighting to the end," said head coach Eric Oakley. "They scored three runs on us to start the day and we tied it right back up. In the second game, the bottom of our lineup did a great job of starting a rally in the last inning to give us a chance to win. Errors are costing us right now, and we have to find a defensive lineup that is going to get the job done."

Each team scored 12 runs with Kent State owning a 19-17 edge in hits. While the Flashes committed four errors that led to five unearned runs, NIU made several terrific defensive plays that prevented runs from being scored.

Brownfield and junior Emily Dobbin led the Flashes with four hits each. Dobbin also had a team-high three runs scored. Senior Maddy Grimm went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs while being walked four times.

In the circle, seniors Ronnie Ladines and Janel Hayes and freshman Madi Huck combined for 14 strikeouts and just four walks compared to four strikeouts, eight walks and two hit batters by the NIU pitching staff.

Game 1: Kent State 6, Northern Illinois 5 (8 innings)
For the second time in the past seven days, Bailey Brownfield delivered a game-winning double to left field to give Kent State a Mid-American Conference victory. With two outs and the score tied 5-5 in the bottom of the eighth, Brownfield made Northern Illinois pay for deciding to intentionally walk Maddy Grimm by sending a shot past the diving outfielder to bring Grimm around to score all the way from first base.

Brownfield was nearly the hero two innings earlier when she hit a ball to center with two runners aboard, but a strong throw was able to cut down Emily Dobbin trying to score from second and end the frame.

"Bailey is doing a great job of stepping up and hitting in the four-hole," Oakley said. "Everybody we face is going to walk Maddy, and we just saw why. They walked her the whole game, and when they finally pitched to her, she hit a three-run home run. Bailey is really relaxed going up to the plate and is swinging the bat well right now."

Northern Illinois put three runs on the board in the top of the first, highlighted by Alaynie Woollard's two-run home run.

Kent State had an immediate response and tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. The first three batters reached on a walk, a single and a hit batter to load the bases. Brownfield lined a hard shot off the NIU third baseman, who then sent the ball into the Kent State dugout trying to toss the ball to an uncovered bag to allow a second run to score. Hunter Brancifort added a RBI single later in the inning to tie the game.

The Flashes took the lead in the third, which started with a double by Ronnie Ladines. Following a walk drawn by Nicole Teefy, Brancifort collected her second hit of the game to score pinch runner Olivia Sborlini. The NIU center fielder made an outstanding diving catch on a ball hit by Kellie Abeska for the second out of the inning. While Teefy was able to tag and score on the play, Brancifort was forced to return to second instead of likely scoring had the ball dropped.

Northern Illinois got within a run on a pair of the doubles in the fourth and then tied the game in the fifth with the help of back-to-back two-base errors.

After having a runner thrown out at the plate to end the sixth, the Flashes threatened again in the seventh. Ladines drew a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position on a single by Brooke Dodson. Brancifort then sent a flare into shallow center, but NIU's Jenny Van Geertry made another diving catch to take away a hit.

Ladines (7-11) settled down after allowing three runs just four batters into the game. She totaled seven strikeouts in eight innings and allowed four earned runs on seven hits.

NIU started the eighth with a double and moved the runner to third on a sac bunt, but Ladines came back with two huge strikeouts to keep the game tied.

Brownfield led the offense with three hits, while Dobbin and Brancifort also had multi-hit performances. Brownfield and Brancifort had two RBIs each. Grimm went 0-for-1 with three walks and was hit by a pitch.

Game 2: Northern Illinois 7, Kent State 6
Kent State came just short of erasing a six-run deficit and lost the second game of the day, 7-6. Representing the winning run, Ronnie Ladines gave the ball a ride to deep center field, but it was caught just short of the warning track for the final out of the game.

Trailing 7-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Golden Flashes batted through the lineup and scored five runs on five hits. Brooke Dodson sent a shot through the right side to start the rally. Vanessa Scoarste then beat out an infield single and an unsuccessful fielder's choice attempting to retire the runner at third loaded the bases with no outs.

Following a strikeout, Emily Dobbin singled to center to score two runs. Down to the final out, Maddy Grimm crushed her 13th home run of the season to score three and make it 7-6. Bailey Brownfield followed with a shot up the middle before Ladines' long final out.

Unlike in the opener, Kent State scored the first run of the game. Dobbin started the bottom of the first with a double and scored on a single by Grimm.

A dropped pop-up on the infield to start the second proved costly, as NIU got back-to-back two-out hits to go ahead 2-1.

The Huskies plated five in the fifth inning with a two-run shot by Kayti Grable prompting a pitching change for the Flashes.

Janel Hayes (7-6) allowed six runs (two earned) on seven hits over four innings. Hayes matched her season-high with five strikeouts. Madi Huck matched her longest outing in conference play and allowed one run on three hits over three innings to go with two strikeouts.

On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State and Northern Illinois will play the series rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m.