Defending MAC Champs Kent State Sweep Bowling Green

Friday, April 1

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

Kent State

April 01, 2011 | Softball

By: by Jason Knavel, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications

Game 1 Boxscore - Kent State 10, Bowling Green 1
Game 2 Boxscore - Kent State 3, Bowling Green 2
Photo Gallery 1
Photo Gallery 2

Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green softball team hosted defending Mid-American Conference champions Kent State for the team's home and conference opener Friday afternoon. After struggling in the opener, the Falcons got a strong pitching performance from Melissa Bott but came up just short in game two. Kent State came away with 10-1 and 3-2 victories.

In the opener, Kent State used a six-run second inning and a three-run third to blow the contest open early. Zada Lines, who pitched so well against No. 3 Michigan earlier in the week, struggled on the mound Friday, giving up six runs in the first 1 1/3 innings before returning to the mound for the final two innings. Her record fell to 3-3 on the season.

Kent State's Shannon Laughlin homered to lead off the top of the second to get the Golden Flashes on the scoreboard. Kent got three more hits, three walks, and an error to put up five more runs in the frame.

The Golden Flashes built the lead to 10-0 with three more runs in the third and a Jessica Carmichael home run in the fourth but the Falcons tried to battle back. Andrea Arney reached with a one-out error in the bottom of the fourth and Erika Stratton followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position. Missy Bowman drove in a run on a groundout but the Falcons were unable to score any more.

Kent State outhit Bowling Green 9-5 in game one but Stratton was the only player with multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-2. All nine Kent State starters in the lineup got exactly one hit.

In the second game, Melissa Bott took to the pitching circle but the Kent State offense hardly slowed down. The Golden Flashes scored twice in the top of the first on two hits and two walks. But Bott settled down after that, allowing just four hits and one run the rest of the way.

Bowling Green tied it up in the third as Rachel Proehl opened the inning with a single and Paige Berger followed with her team-leading fifth home run of the season. However, Kent State scored the game-winner in the top of the fifth, getting a two-out Mary Holt RBI double.

The Golden Flashes opened the door in the bottom of the seventh as Proehl and Berger reached on two-out errors but Stratton flied out to leftfield to end the game.

Berger went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and Proehl was 2-for-3. Both teams had six hits in the contest.

With the wins, Kent State improves to 11-16 overall and 2-0 in MAC play. Bowling Green falls to 4-15 overall and 0-2 in conference action. The Falcons will hit the field again Saturday at home against Buffalo at 2 p.m. and will host the Bulls Sunday at 1 p.m.