Golden Flashes Return to the Diamond at JMU Invitational Saturday

JMU Invitational

The Kent State softball team (6-4) will play a pair of games on Saturday at the James Madison Invitational. Due to winter weather conditions in Harrisonburg, Va., the Golden Flashes' two games Friday morning have been canceled.

On Saturday, the Golden Flashes will play Penn State at 10 a.m., followed by host James Madison at 2:30 p.m.

Last Time Out
The Golden Flashes went 2-3 against a challenging schedule at the Florida Atlantic Invitational last weekend. The highlight was a 3-0 win over #6/5 Kentucky Saturday morning, which is the highest-ranked opponent Kent State has defeated during head coach Karen Linder's 18-year tenure leading the program. The Flashes also split a pair of games against Pittsburgh and lost twice to #5/7 Michigan.

Kent State's pitching staff was up to the challenge of facing some of the best batters in the nation, throwing four complete games and combining for a 1.18 ERA. Ace Emma Johnson earned Mid-American Conference East Division co-Pitcher of the Week honors after going 2-1 on the weekend with a 1.11 ERA and 22 strikeouts. After allowing four runs (two earned) in a loss to Michigan on Friday, Johnson came out and pitched a gem the next morning to shutout previously-unbeaten Kentucky. She allowed just one hit and struck out 10 in the victory. Johnson's encore on Sunday was nearly as good. She allowed just one run on three hits and had nine strikeouts.

Senior Lauren McNeil and freshman Ronnie Ladines also had stellar performances in shutout losses. McNeil went the distance against Pittsburgh, allowing just one run on six hits. Ladines held Michigan scoreless for 8.2 innings before allowing an unearned run. The freshman had eight strikeouts in her first career complete game.

The Flashes' offense was slowed, scoring only 10 runs while hitting .184. Freshman Maddy Grimm led the way by hitting .375 and driving in four runs. Her bases-clearing triple Sunday against Pittsburgh gave the Flashes a 3-0 lead. Sophomore Shelbi Tilton had just four hits on the weekend, but two of them brought runs home in the upset of Kentucky.

Early-Season Leaders
Tilton is off to a terrific start to her sophomore season. The infielder is hitting .393 with two doubles, a home run and six RBI. Junior Kim Kirkpatrick has a .364 batting average and leads the Flashes with 12 hits, three doubles, two stolen bases and a .606 slugging percentage.

Grimm, who is tied for the MAC lead with 12 RBI, is off to a terrific start to her collegiate career. The freshman infielder from Stahlstown, Pa. is hitting .303 with two doubles and one home run. She has already three 3-RBI games this season.

The pitching staff has once again been a strength for the Flashes in the early part of the season. Johnson (4-2) owns a 2.26 ERA and leads the Flashes in innings pitched (34.0), strikeouts (31) and opponent batting average (.169). McNeil (0-1) has a team-best a 1.20 ERA in 11.2 innings and leads the MAC with two saves. Ladines (1-1) owns a 1.24 ERA in 17.0 innings and has 14 strikeouts.

Opponents
Penn State (5-9)
• Penn State also competed at the FAU Invitational last weekend, but went 0-5.
• The Nittany Lions lost twice to No. 6/5 Kentucky (5-0, 8-1) and Florida Atlantic (3-2, 3-2), while also losing to Pittsburgh (3-1).
• They split a doubleheader with No. 21 LSU earlier this season, falling 11-3 in five innings in the first game before coming back for a 6-5 win in the second game.
• Infielder Shelby Miller leads the Nittany Lions with a .429 batting average and has 4 RBI.
• Outfielder Macy Jones is hitting .359 with 12 RBI
• Catcher/infielder Karlie Habitz is hitting .263 and has a team-leading 13 RBI.
• Marlaina Laubach (4-3) has thrown 7 complete games and owns a 2.93 ERA in 40.2 innings.

James Madison (8-7)
• James Madison went 3-2 at NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. last weekend.
• The highlight of the weekend was a 3-0 win over No. 20/22 Louisiana-Lafayette.
• Infielder Hannah Hayes leads the Dukes with a .459 batting average. Hayes also has 2 doubles and 4 RBI.
• Catcher/utility Erica Field has a team-leading 9 RBI and 5 extra-base hits.
• Jailyn Ford (5-3) leads the pitching staff with a 1.34 ERA. Ford has thrown 6 complete games, including 2 shutouts, and has 57 strikeouts in 57.2 innings pitched.

Series History vs. Opponents
• Penn State: 16-26
• James Madison: 0-0

On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will play five games at the UGA Softball Classic in Athens, Ga. next weekend (March 7-9).

Golden Flashes Return to the Diamond at JMU Invitational Saturday

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