Kent State University
Miami
Flashes Use Long Ball to Top Miami, 3-2
4/15/2017 4:17:00 PM | Softball
KENT, Ohio – Kent State hit three solo home runs to beat Miami, 3-2, in the series finale Saturday afternoon at the Diamond at Dix.
The Golden Flashes (16-23, 7-8 MAC) are now just two games behind the first-place RedHawks in the Mid-American Conference East Division standings with three weekend series remaining in the regular season.
Junior Holly Speers and senior Ronnie Ladines each hit solo home runs in the first two innings to give the Flashes a 2-0 lead.
Miami cashed in on a pair of errors to get on the board in the third. A dropped foul ball resulted in a leadoff walk. A sac bunt and groundout moved the runner to third. Another error on a bouncer to first base allowed the runner to score.
Speers added another solo home run for an important insurance run in the bottom of the sixth.
Lauren Anderson snuck a homer just inside of the left field foul pole with one out in the seventh, but Ladines struck out the next two batters to end the game.
Both teams collected four hits in the game with junior Emily Dobbin bunting for a single to account for the Flashes' other hit.
Speers' bat was a welcome return to the lineup after missing the previous 16 games entering the weekend. The junior batted .444 with one double, three home runs, three RBIs and four runs scored during the series.
Ladines (9-13) had six strikeouts and two walks while allowing just one earned run. The Flashes' defense had her back by turning a huge double-play to get out of a jam in the sixth. With runners on second and third, Speers made a nice stop on a ball sharply hit to her at shortstop, checked the runner at third and made a strong throw to get the batter at first. The Miami runner at second took off for third, which remained occupied by its initial base runner. Senior Paige McCrary ran across the diamond and made a quick toss to freshman Kellie Abeska at the second base bag to record the third out before the runner from third was able to score.
Kent State will travel to Saint Francis (Pa,) for a non-conference twinbill on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
