KALAMAZOO, Mich. - WMU softball went 30 games into its season without playing an extra inning game and in the span of five hours played, and lost, two of them. The Broncos fell to Kent State, 2-1, in eight innings, and, 4-2, in nine innings at Fran Ebert Field on Friday.
Both games would classify as pitchers duels, with each going into extra innings tied at one run apiece. But a home run by KSU's Alex Marcantonio in the second and an RBI-double to the wall in the top of the eight by Jessica Blanton proved to be enough in the opener.
After Blanton's double put the Golden Flashes up a run, the Broncos went to work on a comeback. Emma Bogart reached on an error by the second baseman and Meredith Whitney collected the second of her two hits with a single through the left side, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Mackenzie Shepeck reached on a fielder's choice but Kent State failed to get Jenny Rohn, running for Bogart, at third to load the bases.
Courtney Rousseau, who blasted her second home run of the season over thhe left center field wall to lead off the fourth, reached on a fielder's choice as KSU threw out Rohn at home plate. Tara Buchanan also reached on a fielder's choice in the eighth but her grounder back to the pitcher resulted in a game-ending 1-2-3 double play.
WMU entered the seventh with the home half of the seventh with an opportunity to end things in regulation but three consecutive fly outs to left field sent the game into the eighth.
Whitney was strong throughout her eight innings of work, striking out a career-matching 14 batters to bring her career total to a program best 617 strikeouts. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate.
WMU struck first in game two, scoring in the bottom of the first. Rousseau collected an infield single and scored when Buchanan wrapped a single to left field and the center fielder's errant throw missed the third baseman's glove.
Kent State took control in the top of the ninth, loading the bases and scoring on a passed ball, a bases loaded walk and a bases loaded hit batter.
The Broncos also loaded the bases in the home half of the ninth but could only manage one run when Colleen Lynch crossed home plate on a fielding error that allowed Gracie Barstad to reach safely. With the bases still loaded, the final two WMU batters struck out swinging.
WMU welcomes Buffalo to Fran Ebert Field on Saturday and Sunday, with games starting at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.
