By David Carducci
Record-Courier staff writer
AKRON " Top-seeded Kent State used a little help from the temporary, three-foot outfield wall at Firestone Stadium to steal a 2-1 victory over No. 5 Western Michigan Thursday and move to within one win of a championship-game berth in the Mid-American Conference softball tournament.
Western right fielder Michelle Bendewald slammed into the white, screen fence as she tried to race down a lined shot off the bat of KSU's Jessica Carmichael in the top of the sixth inning. The collision dislodged one section of the wall just as the ball hit Bendawald's mitt.
When the ball, Bendawald and the section of fence all landed beyond the barrier, Carmichael's liner was ruled a two-run home run, breaking what had been a scoreless tie.
"I had no idea it was going to be a homer," said Carmichael. "I saw it all as I rounded first. ... Then I started sprinting for third. When I got there, they said it was a home run. I didn't know what to think."
Carmichael provided the bulk of the Golden Flashes' offense, accounting for three of her teams four hits with a second-inning single, a fourth-inning double to the wall in left, and then her eighth homer of the year in the sixth.
"I didn't think that was going to be a home run," said KSU coach Karen Linder. "From my perspective, I was yelling for (pinch-runner) Holly Finchum to tag up at first base. ... Jessica Carmichael has just been clutch for us all season long."
Carmichael's round-tripper was rocketed to right off a curve ball tossed over the outside half of the plate by Western Michigan starting pitcher Kyla Sullivan.
After pitching all 10 innings of the Broncos tournament-opening win on Wednesday, Sullivan (15-9) was sharp again Thursday against KSU, hurling another complete game on just 24-hours rest and taking the hard-luck loss.
Flashes ace Kylie Reynolds (23-4) was just a little bit sharper.
Reynolds logged her 20th complete-game of the season, striking out seven and holding the Broncos (20-17) in her seven innings of work. Her bid for a shutout was broken by Western centerfielder Samantha Vargocko, who crushed a home run to left field with two outs and a two-strike count in the bottom of the seventh.
After walking the potential tying run, Reynolds forced Amanda McBride to pop out for the final out.
"That's the way our games have been all year long," said Linder. "Our kids are so used to it, the bad weather, the tight games. ... They have the confidence that they'll win those close games."
Thursday's games was delayed an hour and a half because of heavy overnight rains that forced the stadium grounds crew to put in some extra work to get the field ready for play.
The weather is expected to improve today when Kent State (42-10) plays either No. 8 Akron, No. 7 Ball State or No. 3 Bowling Green at 5 p.m. for a spot in the MAC championship game Saturday at 3 p.m. In the double-elimination format, a loss today would force the Flashes to play a second semifinal game at 10 a.m. Saturday.
MAC Softball Tournament
Kent State 2, Western Michigan 1
(At Firestone Stadium, Akron)
KENT STATE 000 002 0 " 2 4 0
WESTERN MICHIGAN 000 000 1 " 1 4 2
WP "Reynolds (23-4). LP "Sullivan (15-9).