Kent State University
29-25
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Western Michigan
24-28
Ladines Homers Twice as Flashes Top Broncos, 9-3
5/11/2017 10:30:00 PM | Softball
AKRON, Ohio – No. 4 seed Kent State defeated No. 8 seed Western Michigan in the second round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Thursday evening. Senior Ronnie Ladines homered twice and earned her second victory in the in as many days.
The Golden Flashes (29-25) jumped out to a 4-0 lead through the first two innings and added five insurance runs in the seventh after the Broncos had made it a one-run game in the fourth.
"You want to stay in the top of the bracket, and that's where we are now," said head coach Eric Oakley. "This is a spot we haven't been in the past few years, and the team as a whole just wants to keep going."
Ladines (17-13) was not quite as dominant in the circle as she has been the past few weeks but more than made up for it with her best hitting performance of the season. She went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs while hitting her third and fourth home runs in her last three games at Firestone Stadium.
"Ronnie has been outstanding so far in this tournament," Oakley said. "Her energy has been great and she is doing it all — getting hits, getting outs when she needs to and fielding it."
Kent State scored in the opening frame, as junior Emily Dobbin bunted her way aboard and moved to second on a sac bunt. Senior Maddy Grimm then brought Dobbin in to score with a single for the game's first run.
For the second day in a row, Ladines started the second inning with a solo shot. A walk, sac bunt and single placed runners on the corners. Dobbin then laid down a nice bunt to score Cader. Sophomore Hunter Brancifort dropped a single into center field and freshman Kellie Abeska scored on an obstruction call on the WMU third baseman.
The Broncos were held without a hit the first time through the lineup, but tagged Ladines for three runs with the help of an error in the bottom of the fourth.
After a deep fly out by Dobbin to start the top of the seventh, the next five Flashes reached base and scored. Brancifort started the rally when she was hit by a pitch trailing in the count, 1-2. WMU chose to intentionally walk Grimm for the second time, and junior Holly Speers made it an unwise decision with a double off the right field wall to score Brancifort. A ball struck by Bailey Brownfield got through the legs of the WMU second baseman and into the outfield to allow Grimm to score. Ladines then mashed a three-run shot to all but seal the deal.
Kent State had six players combine for eight hits in the game. Eight different Flashes scored a run.
Ladines was charged with just one earned run and fanned three batters while allowing five hits.
No. 4 seed Kent State will play the winner of Wednesday's game between No. 2 Ohio and No. 3 Northern Illinois on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ladines, Ronnie (17-13)
L: SANCHEZ (9-8)
Batting:
2B: Speers, Holly 1
HR: Ladines, Ronnie 2
RBI: Dobbin, Emily 1 ; Grimm, Maddy 1 ; Speers, Holly 1 ; Ladines, Ronnie 4
SH: Brancifort, Hunter 1 ; McCrary, Paige 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dobbin, Emily 1 ; Brancifort, Hunter 1 ; Grimm, Maddy 1 ; Speers, Holly 1 ; Ladines, Ronnie 2 ; Cader, Jen 1 ; Abeska, Kellie 1 ; Cegledy, Maria 1
HBP: Brancifort, Hunter 1
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Batting:
2B: SCHAAF 1 ; STONER 1
RBI: STONER 1 ; WILSON 1 ; WILLIAMS 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SCHAAF 1 ; SWINEHART 1 ; CRAUN 1
