Kent State University
Lehigh
Softball Travels to North Carolina for Inaugural Duke Tournament
3/1/2018 3:19:00 PM | Softball
The Kent State softball team (7-4) continues its road swing this weekend at the inaugural Duke Tournament on Friday March 2nd through Sunday March 4th. The Golden Flashes will play four games, taking on Lehigh and Yale in a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. respectively, North Dakota State on Saturday at 6 p.m. and host Duke on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, March 2
11 a.m. Lehigh Live Stats
1:30 p.m. Yale Live Stats
Saturday, March 3
6 p.m. North Dakota State Live Stats
Sunday, March 4
12:30 p.m. Duke Live Stats ACCN Extra
Last Time Out
Kent State fell in a midweek battle with Marshall, 10-4, on Wednesday afternoon in Huntington. Golden Flashes pitching was roughed up for 13 hits as Marshall scored in every inning but the third. Kent State's offense was highlighted by Holly Speers 2-for-4 day with a two-run homer and three RBIs. Kennadie Goth was 2-for-3 and hit her first career triple with two runs scored.
Speers Recognized As MAC East Player of the Week
In both weeks Kent State has been in action, Holly Speers has claimed player of the week awards. She hit .615 at the EMU Madeira Beach Tournament and was 8-for-13 with two home runs, a double, eight RBIs, five walks and six runs scored. The Surrey, B.C. native registered a 1.154 slugging percentage and had an on base percentage of .722.
Flash Facts
- Speers has 35 home runs for her career and is now one away from entering a three-way tie for second most in program history with Jessica Carmichael (2008-11) and Jamie Fitzpatrick (2005-08).
- Speers is on a 10-game hitting streak and has five multi-hit games this year. She also has seven multi-RBI games.
- At the time of the last NCAA leaders release on February 27th, Speers is second in the country in on base percentage (.706), third in batting average (.630) and eighth in slugging percentage (1.074). She also has four home runs and 18 runs driven in.
- Pitcher Madi Huck has had a remarkable start to her sophomore campaign. In 32.2 innings, she has allowed only one earned run and commands a 0.21 ERA. Huck has the 10th-best ERA in the nation and ranks second of any pitcher that has thrown at least 30 innings.
- With three home runs this season, Allie Luther is already putting up the best power numbers of her career. The senior from Pickerington, Ohio hit home runs against UConn, Delaware and Villanova and has driven in eight RBIs.
- Kennadie Goth has begun her Kent State career on a five-game hitting streak.
Series History / Opponent Preview
- vs. Lehigh - The Flashes and Mountain Hawks have only played once in program history with Kent State holding a 9-2 win in 2012. This is the first of two matchups against fellow NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago. Lehigh was the champion of the Patriot League and fell twice in Los Angeles to #5 UCLA and Cal State Fullerton. This season Lehigh is 1-4, but opened last weekend against stiff competition at the Citrus Classic and fell to #22 Minnesota, #24 South Carolina and Louisville. The Mountain Hawks defeated Savannah State out of the MEAC for its only win. Lehigh was tabbed as the favorite to win the Patriot League crown in the seven-team conference.
- vs. Yale - This will be the first ever meeting on the softball diamond against the Bulldogs. Yale is 0-4 to begin the season and opened play last weekend in Houston. Yale scored two runs all weekend and were shut out in its last three contests against Houston, UTSA and UNLV. The Bulldogs were picked to finish fourth in the eight-team Ivy League preseason poll.
- North Dakota State - The two have met twice all-time, both in 2016 at the Red and Black Classic in Louisville, Ky., and split the series. The Bison won the first game, 11-0, with the Flashes coming back to take the second, 6-3. Holly Speers hit a three-run home run in the second game to aid the Flashes to victory. The game is significant in Kent State history as Maddy Grimm hit a school record 35th home run to make her the all-time leader. She finished her career with 69.
The Bison are one of the best mid-major programs in the nation. Since joining the Division I ranks as a member of the Summit League in 2004, North Dakota State has gone to seven NCAA Tournaments. Last season they upset eventual nation champion Oklahoma in the first game at the Norman Regional. This year the Bison are 5-5 and suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to #25 Kentucky and stomped an NCAA Tournament team in Cal State Fullerton twice. NDSU was selected to win the six team Summit League in the coaches poll.
- Duke - This is the first season that the Blue Devils have fielded a varsity softball team. The Blue Devils swept their four games in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge last defeating Penn State and Purdue twice each. Duke was selected picked last in the 12 team ACC in its inaugural season.
Up Next
Next weekend Kent State will take part of the Racer Classic hosted by Murray State where it will take on UIC, Evansville, Oakland and the host Racers from March 10th and 11th.
