KSU Escapes Meserve Field with 2-1 Victory

Sunday, May 1

Bowling Green, OH

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

18-33, 6-14

Kent State

32-18, 14-6

Kent State

Bowling Green

Schrock Giammarino Dillow v KSU - Christine Nelson photo

Photo by: Christine Nelson, BGSU Marketing & Communications

May 01, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

Flashes spoil Dillow's gem, scratching across a ninth-inning run

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Kent State University scored a ninth-inning run, and the Golden Flashes hung on for a 2-1 win over the Bowling Green State University softball team Sunday afternoon (May 1). The Mid-American Conference game was held at Meserve Field.

The win enables KSU to remain in first place in the MAC's East Division as well as the overall conference standings. KSU is now 32-18 overall and 14-6 in conference play.

FINAL STATISTICS: HTML | PDF

The Falcons (18-33, 6-14 MAC) and Flashes started the game on Saturday (April 30), but it was suspended in the middle of the fourth inning due to rain. The teams took 51 minutes to play the first three-and-a-half innings on Saturday, and just 64 minutes to get through the final five-and-a-half frames on Sunday.

Each team scored a third-inning run on day one of the game, and KSU came up with a ninth-inning marker on Sunday afternoon. Reliever Ronnie Ladines set down the Falcons in order in the bottom of the ninth.

Janel Hayes had started the game for the Golden Flashes, but the nearly 22-hour break between the top and bottom of the fourth inning enabled Ladines, KSU's number-one pitcher, to return to the circle. Ladines had pitched both Friday's single game and Saturday's opener between the Falcons and Flashes.

Ladines allowed just two hits in her six innings of work in the final game of the series, earning the win. Falcon senior Braiden Dillow took the loss despite pitching well enough to win. Dillow gave up two runs and seven hits, pitching all nine innings, and struck out a season-high eight batters in the game. The total of eight strikeouts tied her career best.

"Braiden picked up exactly where she left off yesterday, and certainly deserved a 'W' beside her name today," said Falcon head coach Sarah Willis. "But, it doesn't always work out that way. They made some slight adjustments at the very end and put the ball in play, situationally, a little more than we did."

Devoted readers of this website might remember skimming yesterday's recap and seeing the description of how each team scored in the third inning on Saturday. But, as a public service to any newcomers to the site (welcome, by the way) ... the Flashes took the lead with a two-out rally in the top of the inning. Dillow retired the first two hitters, getting Michele Duffy to hit a soft liner back to the circle and whiffing Hunter Brancifort. But, leadoff hitter Arika Roush drew a walk and came all the way around to score on Emily Dobbin's double to left-center.

But, the Falcons answered in the bottom of the inning. Senior CF Molly Holliday led off with a single into shallow center, and junior Haley Schrock followed by lining a ball to center for a single of her own. Schrock was 2-for-3 in Saturday/Sunday's game.

The speedy Holliday had rounded second and continued on to third on Schrock's hit, and she scored on a Hayes wild pitch to tie the contest. But, the KSU starter responded by striking out the next two hitters, then inducing a fly ball to right for the third out.

KSU put runners at first and second on a walk to Shelbi Tilton and a Bailey Brownfield base hit with one down in the fourth, but Dillow struck out both Brooke Dodson and Duffy to get out of the inning.

Dodson was 0-for-4 in the game, striking out all four times she faced Dillow.

With sophomore Kayla Gregory set to lead off the Falcon half of the fourth, the umpires called the teams off the field at 2:58 p.m. After a short discussion, the game was suspended.

Just 21 short hours and 53 minutes later, Gregory stepped into the box, and the game resumed at 12:51 p.m. Sunday.

Ladines set down the Falcons in the fourth, and KSU looked to take the lead in the fifth. Pinch-hitter Sydney Anderson led off the inning, and she reached when her grounder went under a BG infielder's glove and continued into the outfield. Anderson rounded first and advanced to second on the error.

Dillow got Roush to pop up to Schrock at third base, and the BG senior also got Dobbin to hit a popup, this time to second baseman Gregory. Maddy Grimm followed by lining a ball just past the diving effort of Falcon shortstop Hannah Giammarino and into left field for a base hit.

On that play, however, senior leftfielder Marisa Shook came up with the ball quickly and fired a strike to catcher Morgan Evangelista. The perfect throw beat Anderson to the plate by several steps, and Evangelista applied the tag to get the third out and keep the contest tied.

In the Falcon fifth, Schrock singled to the left side of the infield with two down, and redshirt sophomore Chelsea Raker lined a ball to the opposite field. Raker's ball, however, was hit directly at second baseman Duffy, who made the catch to end the inning.

KSU threatened in the sixth. Ladines led off by hitting a hard shot just under the glove of Dillow for a base hit. Giammarino grabbed the ball but had no play. Then, Tilton laid down a bunt, and both KSU runners were safe when pinch-runner Vanessa Scoarste beat the BG throw to second.

Brownfield hit a ball back to Dillow, who threw to third to retire the lead runner, but a wild pitch moved the remaining KSU runners to second and third, respectively, with one out. On the next pitch, however, Dillow got Dodson to swing and miss for one of her eight -- or one of her four, depending upon which 'her' we are referencing -- strikeouts in the game. And, with two down, Dillow got Duffy to pop up, with Gregory ranging to her right to make the catch behind the second-base bag.

Ladines set down the Brown and Orange in the sixth, and the Flashes were right back at it in the seventh. Brancifort began the inning with a double to left-center, and a wild pitch advanced her to third base with no outs.

Roush walked to put runners at the corners, and Dobbin got a bunt down. First baseman Raker fielded the ball, looked Brancifort back to third and threw to first. Roush advanced to second on the play, giving KSU two runners in scoring position with just one out for the second-straight inning.

Grimm, KSU's top hitter, strode to the plate, but Dillow got her to hit a grounder to Gregory, who threw to Raker for the second out as the runners were forced to hold. Cleanup hitter Ladines was next, and like Grimm, she worked the count to 3-1. But, also like Grimm, Ladines hit a grounder, and this one was stabbed by Dillow, who flipped the ball to first in plenty of time to retire her counterpart.

The bottom of the seventh saw KSU get two quick outs, but Giammarino lined a Ladines pitch to the base of the fence in right, and the freshman legged out a two-out double.

Holliday was the next hitter, and tapped a roller toward the right side. Second baseman Duffy charged the ball, threw to first, and on a bang-bang play, Holliday was called out to retire the side. The game went to extra innings.

Dillow set down the Flashes in order in the top of the eighth, but Ladines worked a one-two-three eighth as well. Then, in the ninth, KSU took the lead.

With one out, Brancifort walked, and she advanced to third on Roush's double to right-center. Dobbin followed with a grounder to the right side, and Gregory's only play was at first base as Brancifort crossed the plate. Dillow got Grimm to ground to Giammarino for the third out, but the visitors had a 2-1 lead.

And, Ladines was able to close out her third victory of the weekend, retiring the Falcons in order in the home half of the ninth.

The Flashes had a 7-4 advantage in hits in the game, with Brownfield going 2-for-4 for the visitors. Dobbin drove in both KSU runs.

Schrock, as mentioned, had a pair of hits for the home team. The multiple-hit game was her 11th of the season, ranking her second on the team.

"Braiden gave up a leadoff walk that ended up scoring, and statistically, leadoff walks often will come back to bite you," said Willis. "But, she really battled hard and pitched a great game. She was very strong, had great presence and was getting after people, and that's all that I can ask. She challenged good hitters with her best stuff, and did a great job. Like I said, it was a great performance, and she deserved to win."

The Falcons conclude the 2016 regular season with a three-game series vs. Ohio University next weekend. BG will battle the Bobcats in a Friday (May 6) single game and a Saturday (May 7) doubleheader, and Saturday will be 'Senior Day' for the BGSU program, as the team's six seniors will be recognized in ceremonies prior to the first game of the day.