Kent State University
Akron
PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge Twinbill Highlights Home Weekend for Kent State Softball
4/9/2015 4:20:00 PM | Softball
The Kent State softball team seeks a return to its winning ways this weekend when it returns to the Diamond at Dix for four games against Mid-American Conference East Division rivals Akron and Ohio.
Kent State (23-8, 4-1 MAC) has lost back-to-back one-run games following an 11-game winning streak that came to an end on Sunday. The Golden Flashes are 2-0 at home this season after sweeping Buffalo to begin conference play two weekends ago.
On Friday, a point in this year's PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge standings will be on the line when the Golden Flashes and Zips meet for a doubleheader that is scheduled for 1 p.m. The weekend will conclude with single games against the Bobcats at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, April 10
1 p.m.                 Akron at Kent State – Live Stats     Audio
3 p.m.                 Akron at Kent State – Live Stats     Audio
Saturday, April 11
2 p.m.                 Ohio at Kent State – Live Stats     Audio
Sunday, April 12
1 p.m.                 Ohio at Kent State – Live StatsÂ
Last Time Out
Kent State lost to Pittsburgh, 1-0, Wednesday night in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader. The second game was called due to rain. The Flashes outhit the Panthers, 6-4. Despite being shut out for the first time this season, Kent State had its opportunities to produce runs but left the bases loaded in two separate innings and stranded nine runners total.
Flashes Off to Best Start in 25 Years
Kent State is off to the second-best start in program history. The 1990 Golden Flashes won 26 of their first 30 games en route to the program's only trip to the Women's College World Series. This year's team won 11 games in a row prior to Sunday's loss, which is tied for the third-longest winning streak in program history.
During its 11-game winning streak, Kent State outscored its opponents, 74-18. The Flashes held their opponent to one or fewer runs in six games and allowed more than three runs just once. Ronnie Ladines led the pitching staff with a 1.17 ERA and 23 strikeouts. Ladines earned the win in all four of her starts and threw a shutout against Rider. Emma Johnson went 6-0 with a shutout against Princeton in the first game of the streak and recorded 75 strikeouts.
The Flashes pounded 18 home runs during the streak, matching the total run production of their opponents. Kim Kirkpatrick and Holly Speers both batted .500 to lead the offense. Kirkpatrick scored 11 runs and had 6 stolen bases, while Speers led the way with 4 home runs and 13 RBIs.
Maddy Grimm and Janel Hayes also supplied the Flashes with power in the lineup. Grimm matched Speers with a team-high 4 home runs and added 3 doubles and 11 RBIs. Hayes batted .407 and hit 3 home runs to go with 10 RBIs.
Pitching Staff Among National Leaders
Kent State's pitching staff has been outstanding this season and ranks third in the country with a 1.56 earned run average and is holding opponents to a .194 batting average.
Senior Emma Johnson (12-4) is the ace of the staff and has recorded 180 strikeouts in just 109.2 innings. Johnson ranks third in the nation in strikeouts per seven innings (11.7), eighth in shutouts (6), eighth in ERA (1.09) and 12th in hits allowed per seven innings (3.92).
Sophomore Ronnie Ladines (7-4) has a 2.17 ERA and has allowed more than two earned runs in just two of 11 starts.
Junior Alyssa Frankenfield (2-0) is having her best season as a Golden Flash. Frankenfield has a 1.69 ERA and a save. Sophomore Janel Hayes (2-0) has a 2.47 ERA and has been victorious in both of her starts.
Offensive Leaders
Kent State is batting .285 as a team and has five players with a batting average higher than .300. The Flashes have 67 extra-base hits, including 25 home runs.
Sophomore Maddy Grimm leads the Flashes with a .366 batting average, .789 slugging percentage, 6 doubles, 8 home runs and 24 RBI.
Senior outfielder Kim Kirkpatrick has a team-high 33 hits and is batting .333. Kirkpatrick is second on the team with 23 runs scored, 5 doubles, 3 triples and 11 stolen bases. Fellow senior outfielder Dani Ramos has displayed her speed on the base path with four triples and 17 stolen bases. Ramos also leads the Flashes with 26 runs scored and has a .319 batting average.
Junior Michele Duffy and Shelbi Tilton are enjoying breakout seasons. Duffy is second on the team with a .357 batting average and 30 hits while driving in 18 runs. Tilton is second on the team with 5 doubles and 20 RBIs.Â
Scouting Akron (13-17, 1-4 MAC)
• Akron snapped a six-game losing streak by beating Central Michigan, 4-3, on Sunday for its first conference win of the season.
• The Zips are just 2-4 on the road this season.
• After batting .256 during the non-conference portion of the schedule, Akron has a team batting average of just .217 in five MAC games.
• 3B/C Alyssa Nicholas leads the Zips' lineup with a .318 batting average and 22 RBIs to go with 5 doubles and 4 home runs.
• OF Savannah Fruin has a team-high 5 home runs and 13 stolen bases.
• 2014 MAC Pitcher of the Year Erin Seiler owns a 13-11 and 2.36 ERA in 157.1 innings this season. Seiler has thrown 22 complete games and has 198 strikeouts, which ranked 10th nationally entering the week.
Scouting Ohio (11-20, 4-2 MAC)
• Ohio was swept by Central Michigan last Friday before beating Eastern Michigan on Saturday and Sunday.
• The Bobcats are just 2-12 on the road this season.
P/1B Kaylin Clarke leads the Bobcats' lineup with a .373 batting average and .493 slugging percentage. Clarke is 6-4 in the pitching circle with a 6.93 ERA and 38 strikeouts.
• INF Casie Hutchinson has a team-high 27 RBIs and 11 doubles while batting .305.
• INF Raven King hit two home runs against Eastern Michigan and has 30 in her career to rank second in Ohio history.
• Ohio has a team ERA of 6.46 staff and opponents are hitting .351 against the Bobcats' pitching staff.
• Ace Savannah Jo Dorsey, who was named MVP of the 2014 MAC Tournament, has been sidelined with an injury and made just two appearances for the Bobcats.
Series History vs. Opponents
• Kent State is 67-43-1 all-time vs. Akron.
• Kent State is 58-44 all-time vs. Ohio.
PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge
The PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge is based on a time-honored competition for the historic wooden Wagon Wheel Trophy awarded originally in 1945 to the winner of the annual Akron-Kent State football game. Now in its third year, the challenge includes 15 NCAA varsity sports, with victories in each sport adding one point to the challenge standings. The school that accumulates the most total points in all varsity matchups for each academic year is presented with an overall series trophy.
Kent State has won the challenge all three years since its creation for the 2011-12 academic year. For the third consecutive year, the Golden Flashes look to complete a spring comeback and trail 5-4 in the current standings. After Akron swept the point for softball in 2012, Kent State flipped it around by earning a sweep the past two seasons.
On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State returns to the Diamond at Dix to host Cleveland State in a doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
