Kent State University
Toledo
Hot Hitting Flashes Host Toledo for Three-Game Series
3/29/2018 4:05:00 PM | Softball
The Kent State softball team (16-11, 2-1 MAC) gears up for its second weekend of Mid-American Conference play at the Diamond at Dix. The Golden Flashes host Toledo (19-12, 3-0 MAC) for a three-game series beginning on Friday, March 30 with a 3 p.m. first pitch. The set concludes Saturday, March 31 with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. The second game will follow roughly 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. This weekend's series against the Rockets carries the Flashes into the heart of MAC play as it begins a stretch of 12 straight conference games. This weekend also marks the softball debut on Golden Flashes TV with all three games airing live on Facebook.
Media Information
Live Stats
Game Notes
GFTV Live Stream: Friday Saturday
Last Time Out
Kent State spent its last three games away from home on its spring break trip to the Washington, D.C. area. KSU played three midweek games against Mount St. Mary's, UMBC and Georgetown. The Flashes fell to the Mountaineers, but recorded run-rule victories against UMBC (11-3, 6 innings) and Georgetown (17-5, 5 innings). The 17 runs scored against the Hoyas is the most since Kent State put up 18 against St. Bonaventure in 2015.
Allie Luther had an enormous week at the dish. She was called to pinch hit against Mount St. Mary's and launched a three-run home run. On Wednesday against Georgetown, she hit another home run and drove in six runs on the day, the most since Maddy Grimm's seven RBIs vs. Murray State last season.
Bailey Brownfield was 6-for-9 in the midweek games with four RBIs and a triple. She also walked three times for an on-base percentage of .750. Holly Speers, who leads the country in on-base percentage (.667) and second in slugging percentage (1.029), hit one home run with five RBIs. She almost clubbed a homer against Georgetown, but it was called foul just past the foul pole.
Vanessa Scoarste and Carlee Selle each hit the first home run of their careers and Hunter Brancifort blasted her second of the season.
#FlashFacts
- KSU took the first MAC series of the season from Western Michigan, winning both games of a doubleheader last Saturday.
- Kent State has scored 10 or more runs in back-to-back games for the second time this season.
- As a team, the Flashes are hitting .302, which is third in the MAC.
- Holly Speers has 40 career home runs and ranks second in school history and seventh in league history.
- Kent State has won five weekly awards this season. Holly Speers was named MAC East Player of the Week three times, Emily Dobbin once and Madi Huck MAC East Pitcher of the Week once.
- The Flashes scored eight runs in the first inning against Georgetown and are 6-1 when scoring in the first inning.
- Maria Cegledy had an interesting stat line against Georgetown. She did not record an official at-bat but walked three times and scored three runs.
- The Flashes have registered three walk-off wins this season. KSU came back from trailing by five entering the sixth last week against Western Michigan.
Kent State Selected to win MAC East and MAC Tournament
The Golden Flashes were picked in the MAC's preseason coaches' poll to win the MAC East Division and MAC Tournament. Kent State was picked to win the MAC East Division in back-to-back seasons. KSU has won a MAC championship in three straight years with two regular season crowns in 2015 and 2016 and a tournament title a season ago.
Success in the MAC
Kent State has a 58-26 record in MAC play over the last four seasons with three championships. The Golden Flashes are also one of only two schools to win the tournament multiple times in the last decade. Under head coach Eric Oakley, Kent State has a 7-3 record in the MAC Tournament.
Series History / Scouting Toledo
Kent State leads the all-time series over Toledo, 55-36, and will meet for the first time since 2015 this weekend. This is the first time the two will face since the MAC abandoned the round robin scheduling format after the 2015 season. KSU has shutout the Rockets in the last four games and has won 12 of the last 13 meetings. Current pitching coach Emma Johnson only allowed four hits in two complete game shutouts in 2015.
The Rockets swept their first MAC series on the road against Akron, and outscored the Zips, 34-7. Toledo won both of its midweek games against Oakland on Wednesday and held the Golden Grizzlies to only one run. Toledo has won nine of its last 10 games.
Freshman Bailey Curry has sparked the Rockets' lineup and leads the team in batting average (.350), home runs (8) and RBIs (28). Her eight homers are third in the MAC. Heather Webb and Kailey Minarchick are a formidable duo inside the circle, each with a sub-3.00 ERA. Webb is the ace of the staff with a 2.03 ERA and has won 10 games while throwing 82.2 innings. Toledo has the lowest staff ERA in the conference at 2.58.
Softball to Make GFTV Debut
This weekend will be the first time the Flashes softball team appears on GFTV's new live video stream of diamond sports. All three games this weekend will air live on Facebook. Home conference series against Buffalo and Akron will also be broadcast live later this season.
Up Next
Next week begins the start of MAC midweek tilts as Kent State travels to Ohio Tuesday, April 3 for a twin bill against the Bobcats beginning at 1 p.m. Both games will air on Golden Flashes iHeart Radio.
