Friday, March 14
Louisville, Ky.
2:00 p.m.
Kent State University
vs
Iowa State University
Michele Duffy
Softball Set for Challenging Schedule at Class Act Federal Credit Union Classic
3/13/2014 7:07:00 PM | Softball
Class Act Federal Credit Union Classic
Kent State (10-7) continues a challenging stretch of games in preparation for the upcoming Mid-American Conference season when it travels to Louisville, Ky. for four games this weekend at the Class Act Federal Credit Union Classic.
Play begins with a 2 p.m. contest Friday against Iowa State, followed by a 4:30 p.m. game against host Louisville. The Flashes will get one more chance to defeat No. 7/8 Michigan, who defeated them twice last month, in a 11 a.m. contest Saturday morning and then play against Wisconsin at 1:30 p.m.
Last Time Out
The Golden Flashes went 2-3 at the UGA Softball Classic. Both wins, against Purdue and Tennessee Tech, were of the 1-0 variety. No. 19/18 Georgia defeated the Flashes twice and Tennessee Tech avenged its loss on Saturday by beating the Flashes on Sunday.
The Flashes scored five of their seven runs on the weekend via the long ball. Freshman Maddy Grimm, senior Abbey Ledford, and sophomore Erika Warren hit solo shots, while sophomore Chloe Kesterson delivered a two-run homer.
Ledford led the Kent State offense with a 5-for-14 performance at the plate. Sophomore Shelbi Tilton had three hits and junior Kim Kirkpatrick and sophomore Lauren Kesterson had three hits apiece.
Junior Emma Johnson threw her second one-hitter of the season to open the weekend against Purdue. Johnson went 1-1 on the weekend and had 24 strikeouts in 18.0 innings of work. Senior Lauren McNeil and freshman Ronnie Ladines combined to shutout Tennessee Tech on Saturday.
Early-Season Leaders
Through the first 17 games of the season, Kent State has already hit 13 home runs to surpass last season's total of 12. Freshman Maddy Grimm has led the power resurgence with four home runs and homered in three consecutive games at one point. Senior Abbey Ledford, junior Kim Kirkpatrick and sophomore Shelbi Tilton have each hit two home runs, while sophomores Erika Warren, Michele Duffy and Chloe Kesterson have each homered once.
Tilton leads offense with a .340 batting average and .466 on-base percentage. She is second on the team with three doubles and seven RBI.
Grimm has been among the MAC's top freshmen in the early part of the season and is tied for second in the conference with four home runs while ranking third with 18 RBI.
Kent State's pitching staff ranks 31st nationally with a 2.01 team ERA. Senior Lauren McNeil, junior Emma Johnson and freshman Ronnie Ladines all rank among the top 10 in the MAC with an ERA under 2.00.
McNeil (2-1) owns a team-best 0.97 ERA in 21.2 innings of duty and also has two saves on the year. Ladines (1-2) owns a 1.58 ERA and picked up the first save of her collegiate career over the weekend. Johnson (6-3) has 64 strikeouts and a 1.58 ERA and is allowing batters to hit just .179.
Opponents
Iowa State (15-6)
Kent State will play five games at the Kentucky Tournament in Lexington, Ky. next weekend (March 21-23).
Kent State (10-7) continues a challenging stretch of games in preparation for the upcoming Mid-American Conference season when it travels to Louisville, Ky. for four games this weekend at the Class Act Federal Credit Union Classic.
Play begins with a 2 p.m. contest Friday against Iowa State, followed by a 4:30 p.m. game against host Louisville. The Flashes will get one more chance to defeat No. 7/8 Michigan, who defeated them twice last month, in a 11 a.m. contest Saturday morning and then play against Wisconsin at 1:30 p.m.
Last Time Out
The Golden Flashes went 2-3 at the UGA Softball Classic. Both wins, against Purdue and Tennessee Tech, were of the 1-0 variety. No. 19/18 Georgia defeated the Flashes twice and Tennessee Tech avenged its loss on Saturday by beating the Flashes on Sunday.
The Flashes scored five of their seven runs on the weekend via the long ball. Freshman Maddy Grimm, senior Abbey Ledford, and sophomore Erika Warren hit solo shots, while sophomore Chloe Kesterson delivered a two-run homer.
Ledford led the Kent State offense with a 5-for-14 performance at the plate. Sophomore Shelbi Tilton had three hits and junior Kim Kirkpatrick and sophomore Lauren Kesterson had three hits apiece.
Junior Emma Johnson threw her second one-hitter of the season to open the weekend against Purdue. Johnson went 1-1 on the weekend and had 24 strikeouts in 18.0 innings of work. Senior Lauren McNeil and freshman Ronnie Ladines combined to shutout Tennessee Tech on Saturday.
Early-Season Leaders
Through the first 17 games of the season, Kent State has already hit 13 home runs to surpass last season's total of 12. Freshman Maddy Grimm has led the power resurgence with four home runs and homered in three consecutive games at one point. Senior Abbey Ledford, junior Kim Kirkpatrick and sophomore Shelbi Tilton have each hit two home runs, while sophomores Erika Warren, Michele Duffy and Chloe Kesterson have each homered once.
Tilton leads offense with a .340 batting average and .466 on-base percentage. She is second on the team with three doubles and seven RBI.
Grimm has been among the MAC's top freshmen in the early part of the season and is tied for second in the conference with four home runs while ranking third with 18 RBI.
Kent State's pitching staff ranks 31st nationally with a 2.01 team ERA. Senior Lauren McNeil, junior Emma Johnson and freshman Ronnie Ladines all rank among the top 10 in the MAC with an ERA under 2.00.
McNeil (2-1) owns a team-best 0.97 ERA in 21.2 innings of duty and also has two saves on the year. Ladines (1-2) owns a 1.58 ERA and picked up the first save of her collegiate career over the weekend. Johnson (6-3) has 64 strikeouts and a 1.58 ERA and is allowing batters to hit just .179.
Opponents
Iowa State (15-6)
- Iowa State went 1-2 at Shocker Softball Classic, scoring 30 runs while also allowing their opponents to score 30 runs.
- The Cyclones boast the nation's 7th-best team batting average (.347) and have four players who are hitting better than .400 on the season.
- IF/OF Brittany Gomez sets the table from the leadoff position in the lineup with a .440 batting average. Gomez is among the top base-stealers in the nation and has already swiped 14 bases on the season.
- IF Aly Cappaert leads the Cyclones with six home runs. Cappaert also hits .413 and has 18 RBI on the season.
- IF Lexi Slater is hitting .406 with seven doubles, four home runs and 20 RBI.
- IF Sara Rice has a team-best 21 RBI and is hitting .327 for the season.
- Freshman Katie Johnson (14-5) is second in the nation in wins and has started nearly every game for the Cyclones. Johnson has thrown 12 complete games and 121.2 innings already this season. She owns a 2.53 ERA and has 83 strikeouts.
- Louisville has gone 9-2 since returning home after 4-5 start to season
- The Cardinals were predicted to win the inaugural season in the American Athletic Conference and received six of eight first-place in the preseason coaches' poll.
- Louisville is hitting .325 as a team and has outscored its opponents 119-62.
- 2B Katie Keller was named to the Top 50 Watch List for the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award prior to the season.
- Keller is hitting.407 and has scored 21 runs while driving in 10.
- P/1B Maryssa Becker is hitting .481 with12 RBI. In the pitcher's circle, Becker has gone 4-0 with 40 strikeouts and a 2.23 ERA in 31.1 innings.
- OF Kelsi Jones is hitting .365 and leads the Cardinals with five home runs, 17 RBI and four stolen bases on the season.
- Rachel Le Coq (5-4) leads the team in wins and has 43 strikeouts.
- A Women's College World Series participant a season ago, Michigan went 2-3 at Judi Garman in Fullerton, Calif. last weekend.
- All five of the Wolverines' losses this season have been to ranked teams.
- Shortstop Sierra Romero and starting pitcher Sara Driesenga were both named to the Top 50 Watch List for the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award prior to the season.
- Romero is batting .492 with 5 home runs, 27 RBI and a .762 slugging percentage. She went 1-for-5 with three runs and two RBI in two games against Kent State this season.
- Driesenga (0-3) is still seeking her first victory of the season but already has two saves. She threw seven scoreless innings in a no-decision against Kent State earlier this season.
- Haylie Wagner (11-0) has been terrific in the pitcher's circle for the Wolverines. Wagner has 0.88 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 63.1 innings. She earned a pair of victories and allowed just one run in 9 innings against Kent State earlier this season.
- Wisconsin went 3-2 at Judi Garman in Fullerton, Calif. last weekend, including a win over No. 7 Arizona and losses to No. 6 Washington and No. 10 Arizona State.
- OF Mary Massei was named to the Top 50 Watch List for the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award prior to the season.
- Massei is hitting .377 with eight doubles, five home runs, 10 RBI, and a .754 slugging percentage.
- IF Michelle Mueller leads the Badgers with a .404 batting average, three home runs and 16 RBI.
- Cassandra Darrah (7-5) leads the team in wins and has a 2.61 ERA in 67.0 innings.
- Iowa State: 1-1
-
Louisville: 0-4
- Kent State played Louisville twice in 2013, losing 5-0 and 3-2.
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Michigan: 0-7
- Kent State played Michigan twice earlier this season, losing 7-1 and 1-0 (9 innings).
- Wisconsin: 1-1
Kent State will play five games at the Kentucky Tournament in Lexington, Ky. next weekend (March 21-23).
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