Central Michigan University
No. 1 Kent State
Softball Falls To Top-Seeded Kent State In Tourney Opener
5/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Box Score MAC Tournament Scoreboard
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
AKRON, Ohio - Kent State scored the game's only run in the first inning Wednesday as the top-seeded Golden Flashes downed Central Michigan, 1-0, in the opener of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at Firestone Stadium.
The Chippewas (24-26-1), who are seeded eighth, will play fifth-seeded Western Michigan (21-27) in an elimination game Thursday at 10:30 a.m. CMU lost two of three regular-season meetings with the Broncos.
CMU's Rachael Knapp and Kent State's Ronnie Ladines hooked up in a classic pitchers duel on Wednesday.
Both allowed just four hits. Knapp (14-13) struck out five and walked two, while Ladines struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
Chelsea DeLamielleure doubled to lead the Chippewas at the plate, while Maison Kalina, Katelyn Rentschler and Lacy Tolfree each singled.
The Chippewas threatened with two out in the top of the seventh when Rentschler reached on an error and Tolfree singled.
Rachel Vieira's line drive was speared by third baseman Maddy Grimm to end the game.
Grimm's one-out RBI double in the first inning brought in Arika Roush, who led off the game with an infield single.
Western Michigan dropped its tournament opener to fourth-seeded Northern Illinois, 3-1, as the higher seeds won all four games on Wednesday.
No. 2 seed Miami (Ohio) topped seventh-seeded Toledo, 7-2; and third-seeded Ohio downed No. 6 Akron, 3-1.
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