Kent State University
George Washington
Flashes NISC Postseason Play Commences Thursday in Lynchburg
5/15/2019 10:36:00 AM | Softball
The Kent State softball team (27-24) will embark on postseason play this week in the National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC) this week and will be the No. 2 seed at the Lynchburg Regional hosted by Liberty University. This is the first time the Golden Flashes will be playing in this event and will begin play on Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m. against the winner of an earlier game between George Washington and Marshall. Kent State is guaranteed at least two games in the tournament and all games Kent State will play in the NISC Lynchburg Regional will air on ESPN+ and Golden Flashes iHeart Radio.
Last Time Out
Kent State went 2-2 at the Mid-American Conference Tournament last week at Firestone Stadium in Akron. Outfielder Kennadie Goth and pitcher Andrea Scali were both named to the All-MAC Tournament Team as Goth went 6-for-12 at the plate and Scali threw 24.0 innings while commanding a 1.46 ERA and a .122 opponent batting average. She had her best performance against Central Michigan throwing 6.2 innings of no-hit ball before allowing a single.
Record Book Watch
Bailey Brownfield has cemented herself in the top-10 in program history in three major offensive categories. She is now third in hits (204), second in doubles (45) and seventh in RBIs (115). She is chasing Carla Brookbank's (1991-95) school record of 48 doubles. Her 18 doubles this year are tied for the second most in a single season with Beth Cinadr (2011). She has played in 216 games which is the second most in school history, and will tie Jessica Toocheck's (2005-08) 217 games in the first game of the NISC.
Senior shortstop Hunter Brancifort has been hit by a pitch 13 times this year which is the third most in a single season in school history. Her 37 career hit by pitch's are the most in school history.
Andrea Scali is rising through the school's record book for her single-season accomplishments. Her 258 strikeouts are the sixth most and the most ever by a freshman, surpassing Kylie Reynolds 254 in 2007. Her 11 shutouts are tied for the third most in school history with current pitching coach Emma Johnson's 11 in 2015.
Sensational Scali
Redshirt freshman pitcher Andrea Scali has compiled one of the most memorable campaigns by a freshman in program history. During conference play she led the MAC in ERA (1.00), wins (9), shutouts (4), opponent batting average (.182) and WHIP (walks+hits/innings pitched = 0.94) and was second in strikeouts (98) and K/7 (8.52). She was a five-time MAC Pitcher of the Week this year and was named National Pitcher/Player of the Week on two separate occasions by the NFCA and USA Softball.
Nationally, she is seventh in shutouts (11), 11th in strikeouts per seven innings (9.8), 11th in total strikeouts (258) and third in total strikeouts among freshmen.
She has thrown three no-hitters this year against Youngtown State, Robert Morris and Bowling Green and became the first MAC freshman hurler to throw a no-hitter since 2012. Her three no-no's are the most in a single season in Kent State history, surpassing Emma Johnson (2015; Michigan State & Bowling Green) and Kylie Reynolds (2009; Charleston Southern & Stetson).
#FlashFacts
- Kent State was picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference and hit that mark with an 11-5 league record to finish the regular season. KSU received one vote to win the MAC Tournament.
- Brenna Brownfield led the MAC in conference-only games with a .488 batting average, while ranking second in on-base percentage (.542) and fourth in slugging percentage (.791). During the month of April, she led the team in batting average (.460), slugging percentage (.800), RBIs (16), and on-base percentage (.518).
- Kennadie Goth is riding a season-long seven game winning streak.
- 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.
- During conference games, the Golden Flashes outscored their opponents 39-13 from the fifth inning on.
- Prior to the start of conference play, Kent State played the sixth toughest schedule in the nation.
- Kent State is ranked 70th in the most recent NCAA RPI report, which is the best in the MAC.
- The Golden Flashes were recently recognized by the NCAA as having an Academic Progress Rate in the top 10% of all Division I softball teams in the country.
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