Kent State University
Delaware
Kent State Takes Four Game Winning Streak to the Sunshine State
2/22/2018 11:29:00 AM | Softball
The Kent State softball team (4-1) embarks on its second weekend of competition at the EMU Madeira Beach Tournament from Friday, February 23 through Sunday the 25th. The Golden Flashes will play five games in the Sunshine State, kicking things off against Delaware at 1:30 p.m. and Nicholls at 4 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday Kent State will take on Middle Tennessee at 4 p.m. and Albany at 6:30 p.m. before finishing the weekend on Sunday against Villanova at 11:30 a.m.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, February 23
1:30 p.m.        Delaware                  Live Stats
4:00 p.m.        Nicholls                     Live Stats
Saturday, February 24
4:00 p.m.        Middle Tennessee     Live Stats
6:30 p.m.        Albany                        Live Stats
Sunday, February 25
11:30 a.m.      Villanova                    Live Stats
Flashes Rewind
Last weekend at the Battle of the Beach in South Carolina, Kent State opened its season winning four of its first five games. The Golden Flashes fell in their first game of the season against Robert Morris, 3-2, before shutting out Coastal Carolina, 1-0. Freshman Kaitlyn Miller made the big play in the game stealing third base with two outs, which allowed her to score as Vanessa Vodan reached on an error. Madi Huck tossed her first career complete game shutout and allowed four hits, three walks, and struck out two.
Kent State had a huge day on Saturday, as Huck again fired a complete game shutout in a 10-0 win over UConn. Allie Luther hit a three-run blast to open up the game in the sixth inning. Later that day against Rider, with the Flashes down four and down to their last at bat with the bases loaded, captain Hunter Brancifort crushed a grand slam to tie the game at seven and send the contest to extra innings. The Flashes would go on to win, 10-9, in nine innings and score the decisive run on an error. Huck came out of the bullpen and recorded her third win of the season.
On Sunday Kent State throttled Lafayette, 11-3, in five innings. Emily Dobbin registered her first win of the season, as the Flashes coasted throughout. A six-run first inning propelled the Flashes to victory in the fourth consecutive game.
Flash Facts
- Kent State scored 10 or more runs in three consecutive games last weekend (10-0 vs. UConn, 10-9 vs. Rider, 11-3 vs Rider) for the first time since 2011 (Bethune-Cookman 16-1, 12-3, Bowling Green 10-1).
- Dating back to last season, pitcher Madi Huck threw 25.2 scoreless innings. The streak was broken against Rider in extra innings with the international tie-breaker rule in effect.
- Huck did not allow an earned run in 17 innings of work on the weekend.
- Converted outfielder Emily Dobbin tallied her first victory inside the circle over Lafayette, her first since 2016 vs. Youngstown State.
- Seven players recorded their first career hit last weekend (Kaitlyn Miller, Maria Cegledy, Alexis Taube, Carlee Selle, Brenna Brownfield, Bre Westover, Jade Williams).
- Holly Speers led the offense with a .643 batting average, nine hits, two doubles, a home run and seven RBIs.
- Huck and Speers were named MAC East Pitcher of the Week and Player of the Week, respectively.
- Allie Luther compiled the best weekend of her career with five hits, a home run and five RBIs.
- The Flashes' defense did not commit a single error.
- Eighteen different players were granted a start in the batting lineup last weekend.
Series History / Opponent Preview
- vs. Delaware – The Golden Flashes are 2-0 against the Blue Hens. The Flashes won, 8-5, and 7-5, in the two 2010 meetings at a neutral site in Huntington, West Virginia. Delaware was picked to finish sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association and are 0-4 but played stiff competition in Auburn, Maryland and Georgia State.
- vs. Nicholls – It has been 31 years since the two teams last met in 1987. The Colonels were victorious, 5-0, on March 20th in Tallahassee, Florida. Nichols, who is a member of the Southland Conference, is 5-2 following a mid-week sweep of Alcorn State.
- vs. Middle Tennessee – The Flashes and Blue Raiders have each won one game in the series. Middle Tennessee won the first meeting in 1999, 1-0, but Kent State won, 4-3, in 2016. Bailey Brownfield hit a bases clearing three RBI double and scored the go-ahead run to lift Kent State to victory. Middle Tennessee was picked to finish 11th in C-USA but is coming off a 5-0 weekend where they only allowed four runs against Holy Cross, Fort Wayne, Akron, UT-Martin and Nicholls.
- vs. Albany – Kent State leads the all-time series 4-1 over the Great Danes. The two met at the same tournament last year, with Albany getting the win, 8-3. Kellie Abeska hit her first career home run in the game. The Great Danes were selected fifth in the America East preseason poll, and won the league last year and were sent to the Tuscaloosa NCAA Regional.
- vs. Villanova – This will be the first meeting between the Wildcats and Golden Flashes. This will be the Wildcats first weekend of action and were picked to finish fourth in the BIG EAST.
