Kent State University
St. Francis (Pa.)
Non-Conference Home Finale on Tap against Saint Francis (Pa.)
4/23/2019 12:45:00 PM | Softball
In the final home non-conference matchup of the season, Kent State (23-20) hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) (20-26) in a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 24 beginning at 2 p.m. The first game of the twinbill will air on the Golden Flashes iHeart Radio channel.
Last Time Out
The Golden Flashes swept a two-game conference series at Akron, winning game one in run-rule fashion, 9-0 in five innings, and game two, 6-4.
Kent State's offense scored eight runs in the fifth inning with half crossing the plate on Megan Turner's grand slam. Brenna Brownfield recorded a three-hit game and was 5-for-7 on the weekend. Pitcher Andrea Scali fired a two-hit shutout with five strikeouts and only one walk.
In game two, Bailey Brownfield smacked two doubles and moved into second place in the program's record book with 44 career two-baggers and surpassed Maddy Grimm (2014-17) in the process. The Flashes scored all six of their runs in the first two innings. Scali started the game, exited in the fifth and then came back in to throw the final 1.2 innings and did not allow a run in her 5.2 total frames.
Scali Claims Fifth MAC Pitcher of the Week Award
Redshirt freshman pitcher Andrea Scali claimed her league-best fifth Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Week Award this past week. She threw her second no-hitter of the year and did not surrender a run in 22.2 innings of work while recording four wins. The Parma, Ohio native struck out 32 while only allowing eight hits and holding the opposition to a .107 batting average.
Brownfield Moving Up the Record Books
Bailey Brownfield has cemented herself in the top-10 in program history in three major offensive categories. She is now fifth in hits (196), second in doubles (44) and seventh in RBIs (111). She is chasing Carla Brookbank's (1991-95) school record of 48 doubles. Brownfield's 17 doubles this year is tied for the third-most in a single season with Jamie Kraus (1998) and Carla Brookbank (1995).
About Kent State
Sophomore Brenna Brownfield leads the squad with a .361 batting average, while her sister senior Bailey Brownfield leads the team with 46 hits, 17 doubles and 25 RBIs. Senior Jen Cader leads the team with five home runs and is second with 20 RBIs.
Redshirt freshman pitcher Andrea Scali has shined this season. She has held the opposition to a batting average of .191, The Parma, Ohio native is fourth in the NCAA among freshmen in strikeouts (201). Scali is sixth in the country in shutouts (9), 10th in strikeouts per seven innings (9.7) and 14th in strikeouts (203). In addition to leading the MAC in shutouts and strikeouts, she also paces the conference in ERA (2.33) and hits allowed per seven innings (4.86).
She has already claimed five 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.
#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. KSU is currently in second place in the league standings with a 10-4 MAC mark.
- Brenna Brownfield leads the MAC in conference only games with a .525 batting average, second in on base percentage (.581) and fifth in slugging percentage (.850).
- Hunter Brancifort has been hit by a pitch 35 times in a career which, is the most in school history. Her 10 hit by pitches this year is tied for the sixth most in school history.
- During the month of April, Megan Turner paces the Flashes with a .730 slugging percentage behind her four home runs.
- Kent State ranks in the top-100 in the NCAA for batting average (.287) and fielding percentage (.965).
- 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.
- Prior to the start of conference play, Kent State played the sixth toughest schedule in the nation.
- Kent State is ranked 67th in the most recent NCAA RPI report, which is the best in the MAC. The Golden Flashes 15 true road wins this year is tied for the third-most in the country.
Scouting Saint Francis (Pa.)
The Red Flash have not played in the last 10 days since their Northeast Conference doubleheader against Fairleigh Dickinson was rained out. They last swept conference foe Wagner in a doubleheader on April 14, winning 6-4 and 8-4. Saint Francis (Pa.) paces the NEC in runs per game (5.93), home runs (46), doubles (73) and triples (15). Hayley Norton leads the team with a .368 batting average and is 16th in the country with 49 RBIs. McKenzie Saban leads the team with 17 doubles. Christina Clark is 9-8 this year with a 5.12 ERA in 131.1 innings of work, the most on the team. Prior to a loss earlier this year against Bryant, the Red Flash had won 38 straight NEC games dating back to 2016. Saint Francis (Pa.) has gone to two straight NCAA Tournaments hosted in Tucson and won a second round game against New Mexico State in 2017.
Series History
Kent State is 2-0 against St. Francis (Pa.) all-time. The series was on the schedule in 2017 and 2018 but both were cancelled. The Golden Flashes were winners in 2014 and 2015, both at neutral sites. In the most recent meeting, Kent State defeated SFU 6-1 in a neutral site game in Lynchburg, Va. Current pitching coach Emma Johnson recorded the win inside the circle.
Up Next
Kent State travels to the Empire State for a three-game conference series against Buffalo. The series kicks off with a single game on Friday, April 26 at 3 p.m with a doubleheader set for Saturday, April 27 beginning at 1 p.m.
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