Kent State University
UIC
Bluegrass State Bound: Softball Plays Final Non-Conference Tournament
3/9/2018 12:01:00 PM | Softball
The Kent State softball team is traveling to Kentucky this weekend to compete in its final non-conference tournament, the Racer Classic, hosted by Murray State. The Golden Flashes will play four games this weekend and take on UIC at 9 a.m. and Evansville at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10. The following day, KSU faces off against Oakland at 11:30 a.m. and host Murray State at 2 p.m.
Weekend Schedule
Saturday, March 10
9 a.m. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â UIC
4:30 p.m.       Evansville
Sunday, March 11
11:30 a.m.     Oakland
2 p.m.             Murray State
Flashes Rewind
The Golden Flashes took two games at the Duke Inaugural Invitation last weekend, defeating Lehigh and Yale. Kent State used two seventh inning rallies to win both contests. It scored two runs in the top of the seventh against the Mountain Hawks to win, 8-6, and Holly Speers smacked a walk off double to beat the Bulldogs, 3-2.
Speers was named the MAC East Player of the Week for the third straight week. She hit .500 last week with a home run, two doubles, five RBIs, three walks and a slugging percentage of .857. She is currently on a 14-game hitting streak, and he recorded a hit in every game she has played. Her home run against Marshall, the 35th of her career, ties her for 11th most in Mid-American Conference history.
Series History / Opponent Preview
- vs. UIC – The Golden Flashes are 2-1 all-time against the Flames. The two opened the season in 2016 with Kent State winning 10-0 in five innings. UIC is the defending Horizon League champion, and much like Kent State last season, eliminated a Power 5 team in the NCAA Tournament. The Flames beat Missouri, 5-4, at the Eugene Regional.
- vs. Evansville – Kent State is 4-0 against the Purple Aces and will be meeting for the third time in two seasons. Last year Kent State swept a midweek series on its spring break trip in Indiana, 9-1 and 8-2. Evansville is 6-12 this season and is coming off a successful weekend at the Hilltopper Spring Fling, where it took two games against both Austin Peay and Dayton.
- vs. Oakland – This will be just the second meeting, with the only prior game occurring in 2016, a 10-1 Kent State victory. This season the Golden Grizzles are 3-9, but have played some stiff competition in #1 Florida and #15 Oklahoma State.
- vs. Murray State – The two have met twice and both occurred last season and the teams split the series. Kent State won the first game 14-5 and fell in the second, 10-0. The Racers are 6-12 this season and won one of their five games last week at the Coach B Classic, defeating host Southern Illinois, 5-3.
Up Next
The Golden Flashes travel to State College for a three game series against Penn State with a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, March 17 at 1:00 p.m. and a single game on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
