Final Stats

KENT, Ohio -- The Ohio softball team dropped the opening game of a two-game series to Kent State 9-1 on Saturday afternoon at the Diamond at Dix.

Kent State (26-9, 6-2 MAC) got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning, taking a 3-0 lead on back-to-back homeruns to right field by Maddy Grimm and Holly Speers.

Ohio (11-21, 4-3 MAC) threatened in the top of the second inning, when Kaylin Clarke (North Royalton, Ohio) led off with a double to the right field corner. She then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Adrienne Gebele, however Kent State would get out of the inning, stranding Clarke at third.

The Golden Flashes added another run in the bottom of the second inning off of a homerun by Kim Kirkpartick to go up up 4-0. Kent State then extended its lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the third on an RBI Single by Speers.

The Bobcats threatened again in the top of the fourth inning, when Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) reached on an error by the shortstop and then advanced to second when Raven King (Alpine, Utah) was hit by a pitch. Unfortunately, Kent State again would get out of the inning unscathed.

Kent State added three more runs to the board in the bottom of the fourth inning, taking an 8-0 lead.

Ohio got on the board in the top of the fifth inning. The inning began when Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) was hit by a pitch and was later called out when Dakota Pyles (Galloway, Ohio) hit into a fielder's choice and then later stole second. Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) would then draw a walk. The next batter, Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) then reached on a throwing error by the third baseman, scoring Pyles from second to cut the Kent State lead to 8-1.

The Golden flashes would get their final run in the bottom of the fifth off a solo homerun by Shelbi Tilton, to give Kent State the 9-1 five-inning win.

Offensively, Ohio had one hit, a double by Clarke. King and Claytor reached base when they were hit by pitches, Cooper reached on a base on balls, Pyles on a fielder's choice and Dalton reached on an error by the short stop.

In the circle, Clarke started for the Bobcats, pitching a third of an inning, allowing three runs on four hits. Sydney Compston (Wellston, Ohio) pitched two and two-thirds innings for Ohio, allowing two runs on three hits. Lauren McClary (Pasadena, Texas) entered the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, pitching one inning and allowing three runs on three hits and striking out one.

Ohio returns to the diamond Sunday afternoon to wrap up the two-game series with Kent State. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. inside the Diamond at Dix.

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