CLEARWATER, Fla. - A pair of home runs from Kent State proved to be the difference as the LIU Brooklyn softball team dropped a 6-3 decision to the Golden Flashes on Sunday morning. The Blackbirds received multi-hit performances from senior Whitney West and junior Karlie Brady but could not fight back from an early deficit in defeat.

Kent State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second as Mady Grimm led off the inning with a solo home run and Erika Warren drove in the second run with a sacrifice fly. LIU, who left a pair of runners on base in the opening frame, halved its deficit in the third.

West singled with one out before senior Ariana Lopez worked a four-pitch walk. Two batters later, senior Celinna Cosio dropped a single into right field to plate West and put the score at 2-1. The Blackbirds loaded the bases witha  walk from junior Kylie Mulholland, but could do no more damage.

The score remained the same until the top of the fifth, when the Golden Flashes posted four more runs to take a 6-1 lead. Holly Speers had a two-run home run in the inning while Bailey Brownfield also drove in a pair with a two-out single.

LIU Brooklyn would not go down quietly, however, and quickly responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. A sacrifice fly from Cosio brought West, who led off with a single, home. Two batters later, senior Alyssa Gospodarek singled through the left side to plate sophomore Victoria Zamora.

From there, the Blackbirds had two more opportunities to pull closer but stranded two runners over the final two frames against Ronnie Ladines, who improved to 11-1 with the complete-game win. Sophomore Erynn Sobieski suffered the loss, going 6.2 innings while allowing four earned runs and striking out two.

LIU returns to the Northeast for another non-conference game at Manhattan in Riverdale, N.Y. on Thursday, March 24. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.