Softball Debuts At Home This Week
4/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
KSU SOFTBALL FIELD GETS A FACELIFT: Not only will the Flashes be playing in their home debut, they also will be debuting the newly renovated Kent State Softball Field.
The field, which opened in 1999, features new bleachers that hold a capacity of 575, a new press box and an improved bullpen and batting cages.
SCOUTING THE CHIPPEWAS: Central Michigan leads the West Division after going 3-0 against the University of Toledo over the weekend. Amber Puchalski was named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division Co-Pitcher of the Week April 12 after she posted a 3-0 record with a 0.33 ERA while setting a new MAC career strikeout record. Margo Jonker (Grand Valley 76) has been the head coach at CMU for 26 seasons.
SCOUTING THE ZIPS: Akron split a pair a games against Ball State University last night in Muncie, Ind. The Zips shut out the Cardinals 4-0 in game one and fell 3-2 in the second.
Megan McKenzie went 3-for-3 with three RBI while Tina McCauley pitched a two-hitter for the shutout victory. Deanna Parks (Kent State 88) is in her eighth year at the helm of the Zips.
SERIES HISTORY: This is the first time the Golden Flashes have faced the Chippewas since 2002 when CMU took both games 8-2 and 3-2 April 17. KSU is 24-35 all-time against Central Michigan.
This is the second time the Flashes and the Zips will face off this season. KSU split with Akron at the Florida Atlantic Parents Weekend Tournament back in March. UA won the first game 3-2 while Kent State took the second game 2-0 to advance to the second round of the tourney.
NORTHEAST OHIO WEATHER: Springtime may finally be upon us as the weather forecast calls for sunny skies Thursday with a high of 55 degrees and should warm up to 75 by the weekend.
FLASHES SPLIT AGAINST YOUNGSTOWN STATE: In its first games in eight days, Kent State split a doubleheader with Youngstown State University April 6. The Flashes took the first game 3-1 in eight innings while the Penguins won the second game 6-1.
In game one, Youngstown States Jenn Hartman homered over centerfield in the fifth inning. Kent State sent the game into extra innings in sixth when senior catcher Carrie Eneix (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) cracked an RBI double, scoring senior centerfielder Kelly Maehl (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy).
In the eighth, senior Molly Kubin (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales) scored off an error by YSUs first baseman. Maehl then scored again off an error by the catcher.
Maehl went 2-for-4 at the plate, scoring two runs with a double. Senior pitcher Kate Leary (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) pitched a complete game with four hits and season-best 14 strikeouts.
In game two, the Flashes lone run came in the sixth inning as junior Julie Kemesky (Austintown, Ohio/Fitch) scored off of a Megan Verde (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) single. Freshman pitcher Brittney Robinson (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone) fell to 3-5 in the circle.
KENT STATE SWEEPS NIU: The Flashes improved to 5-1 in the league with a three-game sweep of Northern Illinois University April 9-10, in DeKalb, Ill.
KSU pounded the Huskies in the In game one 9-1 as senior shortstop Marci Ridenbaugh (Canton, Ohio/South) became Kent States career stolen base leader. Ridenbaugh collected two stolen bases in the game, bringing her career total to 65, breaking the previous record of 64 held by Pauline Maurice (1988-91).
Kent States nine runs was the second-best scoring output of the season. Senior designated player Tracie Logar (McDonald, Ohio/McDonald) went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double and three RBI while Ridenbaugh went 2-for-4 at the plate, including one double and three RBI.
The Golden Flashes used a fourth-inning rally to top NIU 5-2 in the second game.
Junior rightfielder Abby Molnar (Loveland, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy) led the Flashes, going 2-for-3 at the plate with one run and one RBI. Freshman pitcher/designated player Brittney Robinson (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone) improved to 4-5 in the circle while Logar picked up her second save on the season.
Kent State needed 11 innings to complete the sweep against Northern Illinois April 10. Senior pitcher Kate Leary (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) became the first Kent State pitcher to record 500 career strikeouts.
Leary retired NIUs Lauren VonHolst in the bottom of the fifth, on a 2-2 count for her 500th strikeout. Leary became Kent States all-time strikeout leader March 14 against Western Kentucky University.
KSUs 11 hits were the Flashes third-best hitting output of the season.
Ridenbaugh went 3-for-6 with a double and one run while senior leftfielder Rachel Testa (Rootstown, Ohio/Hoban) went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI.
LINDER REACHES 200-WIN PLATEAU AT KENT STATE: With KSUs 9-1 drubbing of NIU April 9, Karen Linder (Otterbein 80) picked up her 200th career win at Kent State. In eight seasons at KSU, she holds a 202-182 record and a 435-392-1 career record after an 11-year stint at Ashland University. She is only the second Kent State softball coach to eclipse the 200-win plateau behind 2004 Varsity K Hall of Fame Inductee Sue-Lilley Nevar (1986-1996), who has a 289-219-1 record.
A TRIO OF ACES: The Flashes are one of the top pitching teams in the conference, ranking second with a 1.88 earned-run average. Kent States pitching corps has held its opponents to a .228 batting average.
Individually, three KSU hurlers rank among the leagues top 20, including freshman Brittney Robinson (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone) (second, 1.56 ERA) and seniors Tracie Logar (McDonald, Ohio/McDonald) (10th, 1.85 ERA) and Kate Leary (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) (11th, 1.93 ERA).
RIDENBAUGH SHATTERS STEALS RECORD: Senior shortstop Marci Ridenbaugh (Canton, Ohio/South) had a defining moment in DeKalb over the weekend.
Ridenbaugh led the Flashes to a 3-0 sweep at NIU and stole two bases April 9 to she become KSUs all-time steals leader. She now has 65 career stolen bases to break Pauline Maurices (1988-91) record of 63.
In the three-game series, Ridenbaugh batted .429 (6-for-19), registered five RBI, tallied one double in all three games and was part of two game-winning runs for Kent State.
In game one April 9, she went 2-for-4 with three RBI, including a two-run single and an RBI double. In game two, she registered a two-run double, batting in the game-winning run. Ridenbaugh then scored KSUs game-winner in the 11th inning on a RBI single by senior leftfielder Rachel Testa (Rootstown, Ohio/Hoban) April 10.
Ridenbaugh leads the team in hits (31), batting average (.348), doubles (7), stolen bases (9) and is tied for first in RBI (10).
LEARY HAS A MILESTONE WEEK: Senior pitcher Kate Leary (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington) had a productive week as she continues to position herself as one of the most prolific pitchers in Kent State history.
Against NIU April 10, she fanned six batters to become the first Kent State softball pitcher to record 500 career strikeouts. She broke the schools Ks record against Western Kentucky March 14.
Earlier in the week, she pitched all eight innings, striking out a season-best 14 batters and finished with a 0.88 ERA during a 3-1 win over Youngstown State April 6.
She went 2-0 on the week as she pitched 21 innings with 24 strikeouts and a 1.04 earned-run average.
WHOS ON THIRD?: Junior Jodi Stevens (McCutchenville, Ohio/Mohawk) is a fan of third base. Not only does she play the position for the Golden Flashes, but she cant stop hitting triples. Stevens triple against Northern Illinois sparked a Kent State rally that ended in a 5-2 win for the Flashes.
She also notched the game-winning RBI, a two-run triple, in a 4-1 win over Ohio March 27.
She has notched four triples on the season, including her first career triple against N.C. State Feb. 14. Stevens currently is tied for second in the MAC in triples and third with a .434 on-base percentage.
ROBINSON SERVES DOUBLE DUTY: Freshman pitcher/utility player Brittney Robinson (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone) has stepped up at both ends of the plate.
As a pitcher, she ranks second in the conference with a 1.56 ERA and is second on the team with 45 strikeouts. Robinson holds a 5-5 overall record while her opponents batting average is .235.
At the plate, she bats .250 with three doubles and four RBI. Against Ohio March 28, she went 2-for-3 with one double.
CLUTCH HITS: Senior leftfielder Rachel Testa (Rootstown, Ohio/Hoban) came through in the clutch for the Flashes during the 11-inning victory in DeKalb.
Testa drove in KSUs first run in the opening inning with a double to left center. She then recorded the game-winning RBI single in the 11th inning to give Kent State the 3-2 win.
Testa went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI.
On the year, she is second on the team in doubles (6), tied for second in RBI (8) and fourth with a .254 hitting clip.
LOGAR SHINES AT THE PLATE: Although senior pitcher Tracie Logar (McDonald, Ohio/McDonald) is known as one of the top aces in the league, she also showed what she could do at the plate.
Against Northern Illinois, she was the designated player for the Flashes. In KSUs 9-1 win April 9, Logar went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs.
On the season, she has recorded seven hits, two doubles and six RBI. In the circle, Logar is 3-3 and is 10th in the MAC with a 1.85 ERA.
Logar recently cracked into the schools all-time top 10 in appearances (64) and innings pitched (270) and is poised to break into the top 10 in starts (43).
UP NEXT: Kent State will stay put to host Bowling Green State University for a doubleheader Wednesday, April 21, at 2 p.m. before travelling to the University of Toledo for a non-league doubleheader Friday, April 23, at 3 p.m.
