Kent State University
Toledo
MAC Opener on Deck at Toledo
3/21/2019 8:58:00 AM | Softball
Kent State (7-15) embarks on Mid-American Conference play this weekend when it battles Toledo (8-15) on Friday, March 22 at 3 p.m. and Saturday, March 23 for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. in the Glass City. The Golden Flashes are making their first trip to Toledo since 2015. Since skipper Eric Oakley took command in 2016, his team is 7-2 in MAC season-opening series.
All three games this weekend will air on ESPN3.
Last Time Out
Redshirt freshman pitcher Andrea Scali became the first rookie Golden Flash to toss a no-hitter in a decade on Wednesday, March 20 at Youngstown State in a 10-0 win. She struck out seven in the five-inning game and threw the first hitless game for Kent State since Ronnie Ladines in 2017 at Buffalo. The last KSU freshman to accomplish the feat was Markie Pozzuto in 2008 in a 9-0 win over North Carolina Central. The Parma, Ohio native flirted with a no-hitter once already this season against North Texas when she went into the seventh inning without allowing a hit.
Kent State lost the nightcap 4-3 to Youngstown State and was hurt inside the circle by a three-run homer and a wild pitch and despite recording 10 hits, scored three runs.
During the doubleheader, Hunter Brancifort went 3-for-6 with a homer, a double, three RBIs and a career-high four runs scored in the first game. Jen Cader was an on base machine and went 2-for-3 with an RBI and drew four walks. Vanessa Vodan received a start behind the dish in the nightcap and the slap-hitter went 3-for-3 with three singles.
About Kent State
Sophomore Kennadie Goth leads the team with a .341 batting average and has registered 14 hits. Senior Bailey Brownfield paces the squad with 19 hits and six doubles. Senior Hunter Brancifort has driven in 11 runs so far and hit three home runs, the last one a solo shot against Youngstown State on Wednesday.
Redshirt freshman pitcher Andrea Scali has shined early this season. She has held the opposition to a batting average of .218 and is 10th in the country in strikeouts per seven innings (10.3). She has already claimed to MAC Pitcher of the Week Awards and was honored with the USA Softball National Collegiate Co-Player of the Week for her pair of victories over #21 Baylor. Â
#FlashFacts
- Kent State was picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference and received a vote to win the MAC Tournament in the preseason coaches' poll.
- Bailey Brownfield leads the club this season with six doubles. Last year her 13 two-baggers were tied for ninth-most in a single-season in program history. She currently has racked up 33 career doubles which is tied for 10th-most in the school record book with former All-American Holly Speers.
- Brancifort has been hit by a pitch 31 times in a career which is the most in school history.
- Fourth-year head coach Eric Oakley became the fastest Kent State head coach to earn their 100th victory at KSU, as Oakley accomplished the feat in 173 games with a 7-1 season-opening win over LIU Brooklyn. During his three complete seasons as the skipper, the Golden Flashes have finished each season with a .540 or better winning percentage and have won nine postseason games.
- This season, Kent State returned All-MAC First Team selection Bailey Brownfield as well as All-MAC Second Team members Maria Cegledy, Kennadie Goth, Madi Huck and Brenna Brownfield.
Scouting Toledo
Toledo enters the MAC opener and its home opener with an 8-15 record. The Rockets played at the Hoosier Classic last weekend and defeated St. Francis (Pa.) 11-0, but also fell to the Red Flash, the host Indiana and Northwestern. Earlier this season on March 2, the Rockets played well against #1 Florida State, and was tied entering the seventh, but the Seminoles walked-off in the 5-4 loss. Kylie Norwood leads UT at the plate in almost every statistical category: batting average (.357), hits (29), runs (16), doubles (6), home runs (3) and RBIs (18). Erin Hunt leads the team in innings pitched (62.0) and has compiled a 3.92 ERA with an opponent batting average of .217. Joe Abraham is in his first year as head coach of the program and came to the Glass City after spending the last seven years leading Division II Hillsdale College.
Series History
Kent State leads the all-time series over Toledo, 58-36. Last season at the Diamond at Dix, Toledo took two of the three games in the set after Kent State won the first one, 7-6. Bailey Brownfield hit a walk-off since in the bottom of the seventh to lift Kent State to victory and had five hits in the doubleheader. Cegledy went 3-for-3 in the KSU victory and hit her first collegiate home run.
Up Next
Kent State embarks on a midweek road swing to the Northeast Corridor next week beginning with a doubleheader against last season's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Champion Monmouth on Tuesday, March 26 beginning at 2 p.m. The Flashes will also play a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 27 at Lehigh beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Follow the Flashes
Be sure to follow the Flashes on Twitter and Instagram for news and in-game updates about the squad.
