Kent State University
Penn State
Flashes Meet Nittany Lions for Final Non-Conference Weekend Series
3/16/2018 11:53:00 AM | Softball
The Kent State softball team (11-7) travels to Penn State this weekend for a three-game series against the Nittany Lions. The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 17th with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. The second game will begin roughly 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. The series concludes on Sunday, March 18 at 1 p.m. This weekend also marks the return of Kent State softball airing on the Golden Flashes iHeart Radio Channel.
Weekend Schedule
Saturday, March 17
1 p.m. Penn State (DH)
Sunday, March 18
1 p.m. Penn State
How to Follow:
Radio: Golden Flashes iHeart Radio (All Games)
Video Stream: (Saturday) (Sunday)
Live Stats: Game 1, Game 2, Game 3
Game Notes
Last Time Out
The Golden Flashes took two of their three games at the Racer Classic hosted by Murray State last weekend. Kent State defeated Evansville 6-3 and Oakland 7-6, while falling to UIC, 2-1. Kent State won in dramatic fashion over the Golden Grizzlies on a walk off single up the middle by Bailey Brownfield in a come from behind victory. It's the third time this year that KSU has scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning or won on a walk off.
Dobbin Wins MAC East Player of the Week
Senior outfield Emily Dobbin had her best weekend of the season at the Racer Classic, and went 8-for-12 with one double, four RBIs and four runs scored, and was awarded the Mid-American Conference East Player of the Week. It's the fifth weekly award for the Golden Flashes this season. Holly Speers won three in a row to begin Kent State's season, and Madi Huck won a pitcher of the week award.
Flash Facts
- Kent State has seven wins against Big 10 teams since 2014.
- Kent State is hitting .287 as a team which is fourth in the MAC.
- The Flashes are 8-0 when scoring six or more runs.
- Kent State's longest winning streak of the year was six games from Feb. 16-23. Kent State outscored its opponents 45-13 during that stretch.
- The Golden Flashes scored 10 or more runs in three straight games for the first time since 2011 during the winning streak.
- KSU pitching has not allowed a run in the seventh inning, while outscoring its opposition 17-0.
- The Flashes are 10-2 when scoring first.
- KSU is 1-0 in extra-inning games this season.
- The Flashes have won two games in walk off fashion against Yale and Oakland.
- Senior Holly Speers won MAC East Division Player of the Week three straight weeks. She has a .551 batting average which leads the MAC and ranks third nationally.
- Speers began the season on a 14-game hitting streak and has tallied a hit in 16 of 17 games played.
- She is tied for second in school history with 36 career home runs and is tied for ninth in MAC history. Speers hit a home run against Murray State, but the game was called due to rain in the fourth, but none of the stats from the game count towards official totals.
- Sophomore Maria Cegledy hit two triples in the Flashes win over Lehigh. It is the first time the feat was accomplished since Kim Kirkpatrick hit two triples against Toledo in 2014.
Series History / Opponent Preview
Penn State leads the all-time series over Kent State 26-17, and will meet for the 44th time on Friday. The Golden Flashes won the last meeting in 2014, 9-1 in five innings at the JMU Invitational in Harrisburg, Va. This is the first time the two will meet for three games in a season since 1990 when Kent State took the season mid-week series, 2-1. This is the first time the Flashes and Nittany Lions will play a three-game weekend series.
This season, the Nittany Lions are 1-17 and their lone win came against Jacksonville on February 23rd. Tori Dubois leads Penn State with a .281 batting average and seven RBIs. Jessica Cummings is the most-often used Penn State pitcher, throwing 50 innings with a 4.20 ERA. As the 12-seed in last year's Big 10 Tournament, Penn State upset the five seed Nebraska 5-0.
Up Next
The Golden Flashes open their home season on Wednesday, March 21 against Youngstown State at 3 p.m. as part of a doubleheader. Later in the week, Mid-American Conference play begins at home against Western Michigan on Friday and Saturday.
