Wright State Softball Drops Heartbreaker to Kent State at NCAA Regionals

May 17, 2008




ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Wright State softball team was two outs away from its second-ever NCAA Regional win, but Kent State scored twice in the bottom of theseventh, the second coming on a wild pitch, as the Golden Flashesdefeated the Raiders 3-2 in an elimination game in Ann Arbor, Michigan.


The two starting pitchers, Sharon Palma of Wright State and KylieReynolds of Kent State, were locked into a scoreless duel early as bothescaped jams over the first four innings. The Flashes, though, brokethrough with a run in the fifth as Heather Duhon tripled to the gap inright center with two out and scored on a RBI single off the bat of KimHamilton.


Reynolds kept the Raiders hitless until the sixth, when Wright State responded with two runs to take the lead. Louie Haney led off with the first hit of the day for WSU, a single through the left side of theinfield and after Jherica Williams hit into a force play and stolesecond, Kristen Bradshaw drove her in with a double to left. Bradshawadvanced to third on an illegal pitch and came in to score on a MollieBerry hit to center.


Palma retired the side in order in the sixth and retired Kalie Germaine on a ground out to short to start the seventh. Duhon, however, started the rally with a double to right center and Hamilton tied the game with a hit up the middle to drive in Duhon.


Hamilton went all the way to third on the play as the throw to the plate went to the backstop, but remained at third as Leah Archual grounded to first and Jessica Toocheck along with Jamie Fitzpatrick were both walked intentionally.


The plan, though, backfired as a wild pitch on the 2-1 delivery from Palma allowed Hamilton to score the winning run.


Wright State closes the campaign with a final mark of 33-26 while Kent State advances with a 45-11 mark.
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