Softball Blanks BG in Doubleheader

Sunday, May 7

Kent, Ohio

1:00 p.m.

Kent State University

26-25, 14-9

Bowling Green

24-31, 10-13

Bowling Green

Kent State

Photo by: Bob Christy

5/7/2017 7:36:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game 1 Game 2

KENT, Ohio – Making their final appearance at the Diamond at Dix, seniors Janel Hayes and Ronnie Ladines each threw shutouts as Kent State beat Bowling Green in both games of a doubleheader Sunday at the Diamond at Dix. The Golden Flashes started the day with their second 2-0 win in a row and then earned an 8-0 victory in five innings to complete the series sweep and claim the No. 4 seed in this week's Mid-American Conference Tournament.

The Golden Flashes (27-25, 15-9 MAC) have won nine of their last 10 MAC games and are the conference's hottest team. Kent State recorded shutouts in five in the final two MAC series and outscored opponents 34-1 in those six games.

"Our entire pitching staff — Ronnie, Janel and Madi Huck — has been outstanding these last two weekends," said head coach Eric Oakley. "They have really been finding their groove at the right time. Bowling Green was a team fighting to get in the tournament, and we were able to shut them down three games in a row."

Hayes (9-7) Ladines (15-13) combined for 13 strikeouts without any walks and held the Falcons to just eight hits on Saturday.

Kent State scored nine of its 10 runs via the long ball, as junior Emily Dobbin's two-run shot provided the only scoring in Game 1, and senior Maddy Grimm and junior Holly Speers hit back-to-back homers twice in Game 2.

"It took a while for us to make adjustments at the plate and Dobbin came through with the big hit in the first game," Oakley said. "Of course it was good to see Maddy settle in and have a few big hits in the second game."

The Golden Flashes' all-time home run leader, Grimm fittingly launched a three-run blast in her final at-bat at the Diamond at Dix. Grimm totaled five RBIs in the second game and now has 68 career home runs.

Sophomore Bailey Brownfield batted 3-for-4 as she continues to be the offensive catalyst for the Flashes. During Kent State's current seven-game MAC winning streak, Brownfield has hit .706 (12-for-17).

Game 1: Kent State 2, Bowling Green 0
Janel Hayes tossed a shutout and Emily Dobbin hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Kent State a 2-0 win in the first game of the day.

Hayes (9-7) had five strikeouts and did not walk any batters in recording her first shutout of the season. The senior remain poised despite allowing a runner to reach base in six of seven innings. After retiring the first two batters in the seventh, Hayes surrendered a single and a double that snuck inside of the third base line to the next two batters, bringing the potential go-ahead run to the plate. She got ahead in the count, 1-2, and then got BG's Alex Sorgi to ground out to third baseman Maddy Grimm.

Freshman Kellie Abeska broke a streak of 12 straight Flashes retired with a single in the sixth. Dobbin then sent the first pitch she saw over the wall in center field for her fourth home run of the season.

Bowling Green outhit Kent State, 6-3, in the game.

Game 2: Kent State 8, Bowling Green 0 (5 innings)
Kent State hit four home run to take care of Bowling Green in five innings, 8-0.

The Golden Flashes jumped all over Game 1 starting pitcher Brooke Parker for three runs in the first inning. Emily Dobbin started the frame with the Flashes' first walk of the day and Maddy Grimm unleashed on the first pitch to her for a two-run homer. Holly Speers followed with a solo shot to make it 3-0 and end Parker's day in the circle.

Allie Luther came off the bench and hit a double off the base of the wall in center field to score Bailey Brownfield and make it 4-0 in the third inning.

Kent State added four runs in the fourth. Kellie Abeska hit a leadoff single, Dobbin reached on a fielder's choice and Hunter Brancifort was hit by a pitch to put two runners on for Grimm, who hit her second home run of the game. Speers followed with a homer once again to put the Flashes within three outs of ending the game in five.

Ronnie Ladines totaled eight strikeouts and allowed just two hits for her fourth straight shutout.

On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State heads to Firestone Stadium in Akron for the 2017 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The fourth-seeded Golden Flashes will play in the tournament's opening game against fifth-seeded Ball State on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.