Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan softball was not able to muster enough offense in a pair of Mid-American Conference losses to Kent State on Friday afternoon at Fran Ebert Field.  The Broncos fell, 5-1, in the day's opener and fell, 4-0, in the night cap.  WMU loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh in game two but was unable to land the knockout swing that would have sent the game into extra innings.

Western Michigan (11-11, 3-3 MAC) was held to four hits in each of the two games on Friday afternoon as the Kent State (26-8, 9-1 MAC) starting pitchers worked respective complete games.

The Flashes scored a pair of runs in the first and second innings in game one to take a 2-0 lead that held until the bottom of the fifth frame.  WMU scored in the the fifth when Mandi Sayres recorded one of her three hits on the day (3-for-6) to score Michelle Bendewald, who pinch ran for for Molly Mroczek after she led off the inning with a base hit up the middle.

The defenses held each other in check during the sixth inning but KSU broke out for three runs in the top of the seventh, thanks in part to a pair of Bronco errors in the inning, en route to a four-run victory.

Kent State cruised during the second game, allowing WMU just three hits through six innings but it the game was still in doubt heading into the home half of the seventh.  Trailing, 4-0, Amanda Gelder singled back up the box to lead things off and Chelsea Westenburg pinch ran for the senior first baseman.  Two batters later Mroczek drew a walk to put runners at first and second.

Nina Ojala stepped to the plate and reached on an error that advanced both runners, loading the bases.  Becky Bartosz worked the count to 2-1 and put a charge into the fourth pitch she saw, but it was not enough as Corey Houk squeezed the long fly ball for the game's final out.