Kent State University
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Western Michigan
Senior Day Highlights Weekend of Softball at the Diamond at Dix
4/30/2015 10:05:00 PM | Softball
Kent State brings the 2015 regular season to a close with four games at the Diamond at Dix this weekend. The Golden Flashes will host Western Michigan for a doubleheader on Friday and then take on Northern Illinois in single games the next two days. A Senior Day celebration will be held following Sunday's game.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, May 1
1 p.m.         Western Michigan at Kent State – Live Stats        AudioÂ
3 p.m.         Western Michigan at Kent State – Live Stats    Â
Saturday, May 2
2 p.m.         Northern Illinois at Kent State – Live StatsÂ
Sunday, May 3
1 p.m.         Northern Illinois at Kent State – Live Stats Â
Pitching Staff Among National Leaders
Kent State's pitching staff has been outstanding this season and ranks fifth in the country with a 1.56 earned run average and is holding opponents to a .192 batting average.
Senior Emma Johnson (19-5) is the ace of the staff and has thrown two no-hitters. Johnson ranks third the nation in shutouts (10), fifth in in strikeouts per seven innings (10.7), fifth in ERA (0.89) sixth in hits allowed per seven innings (3.46) and 10th in strikeout (253). Additionally, Johnson leads the MAC in opponent batting average (.146) and has two saves.
Sophomore Ronnie Ladines (10-5) has a 2.39 ERA and has struck out 84 batters while issuing just 28 walks. Junior Alyssa Frankenfield (4-1) is having her best season as a Golden Flash with a 2.39 ERA and a save. Sophomore Janel Hayes (2-0) has a 2.19 ERA and one save.
Offensive Leaders
Kent State is batting .288 as a team and has five players with a batting average higher than .300. The Flashes have 108 extra-base hits, including 45 home runs.
Sophomore Maddy Grimm leads the Flashes with a .378 batting average, .866 slugging percentage, .461 on-base percentage, 10 doubles, 16 home runs and 48 RBIs.
Senior outfielder Dani Ramos has a team-high 51 hits, 5 triples and 22 stolen bases. Ramos has scored 39 runs and is batting .359, which both are second on the team. Fellow senior outfielder Kim Kirkpatrick is batting .327 with 21 RBIs and leads the Flashes with 40 runs. Kirkpatrick is second on the team with 8 doubles, 4 triples, 6 home runs and 16 stolen bases.
Freshman Holly Speers and junior Michele Duffy also bring powerful bats to the lineup for Kent State. Speers, who is batting .330 with 6 doubles and 5 home runs, has enjoyed much success batting in the cleanup spot during league play. In MAC games, she is hitting .370 and is second on the team with 13 RBIs. Duffy has driven in 27 runs on the season, which is second on the team. She is batting .325 with 5 doubles and 5 home runs.
Scouting Western Michigan (20-21, 10-6 MAC)
• Western Michigan went 2-2 last weekend after sweeping Eastern Michigan and being swept by Central Michigan.
• OF Jenny Rohn leads WMU in batting average (.387), doubles (12), slugging percentage (.573) and on-base percentage (.424). Rohn is also second on the team with 27 RBIs.
• IF/OF Ivy Schaaf leads the Broncos in hits (52) and doubles (12). Schaaf is batting .374 and has a .561 slugging percentage, which are both second on the team.
• 3B/1B Kelsea Cichocki has a team-high 28 RBIs.
• As a team, BG has a 3.79 ERA while opponents are hitting .295.
• P Allyson Kus (8-7) leads the Broncos in wins, saves (2), ERA (3.15), innings pitched (97.2) strikeouts (50) and complete games (6).Â
Scouting Northern Illinois (27-20, 10-6 MAC)
• Northern Illinois has won four of its last five games after defeating Illinois-Chicago, 3-2, on Wednesday.
• The Huskies have hit a record 38 home runs this season, including 20 during the month of April and at least one in 11 of the last 13 games.
• NIU is just 10-20 when allowing more than two runs.
• C/INF Kayti Grable has tied the NIU record with 11 home runs and also ranks among the top five in the MAC in batting average (.412), slugging percentage (.733), on-base percentage (.512), RBIs (30 and walks (27).
• C/UTL Emily Naegle is having a MAC Player of the Year type season for the Huskies. In conference games, Naegle has driven in a MAC-leading 23 runs and is batting .451 with 2 doubles, 2 triples and 3 home runs.
• NIU has a team ERA of 3.18 and is allowing opponents to hit .265 this season.
• P Keegan Hayes (14-8) is the ace of the staff and has thrown 8 complete games, including 2 shutouts, and leads the Huskies in innings pitched (138.2), strikeouts (67) and ERA (2.68).
• P Jessica Sturm (11-10) has also been steady for the Huskies with a 3.18 ERA and 66 strikeouts..
Series History vs. Opponents
• Kent State is 46-31 all-time vs. Western Michigan.
    • The Golden Flashes and Huskies split their two games last season.
• Kent State is 19-27 all-time vs. Northern Illinois.
    • The Golden Flashes have won six straight games vs. the Broncos.
On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will begin the quest for its first NCAA appearance since 2008 with a first round Mid-American Conference Tournament game on Wednesday (April 6). The double-elimination tournament will be played at Firestone Stadium in Akron through Saturday (April 8).
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