Kent State University
Bowling Green
Six Seniors to be Recognized in Regular Season Finale
5/3/2019 11:00:00 AM | Softball
The Kent State softball team (24-21, 10-4 MAC) closes out the regular season on Saturday, May 4 with a doubleheader at the Diamond at Dix against Bowling Green (21-28, 6-13 MAC) beginning at 1 p.m. Game two of the twin bill will follow roughly 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. After the conclusion of both games, Kent State will honor the six-member senior class of Sydney Anderson, Bailey Brownfield, Hunter Brancifort, Jen Cader, Hailey Hopkins and Shelby Hard.
Kent State has qualified for the Mid-American Conference Tournament for a record 16th consecutive season and is waiting to learn it's opponent and seed.
Last Time Out
Kent State's last weekend series at Buffalo was cancelled and last played back on April 24.
The Golden Flashes split a doubleheader against Saint Francis (Pa.) at home, dropping the first game 5-4 and coming back to win the nightcap, 6-2. Bailey Brownfield went 3-for-4 in game one with a double and moved into sole possession of fourth in the program's record book with 199 career hits and 45 doubles are three away from tying the school's career record.
Kent State tried to comeback from a five-run deficit in the first game with a four run fifth inning, but came up just after putting up a four-spot in the fifth.
The offense scored six runs on 13 hits in game two and was paced by Kennadie Goth and Kaitlyn Miller's 3-for-3 game. The Golden Flashes exploded for a five-run fourth. Miller tripled down the right field line and scored Hunter Brancifort from second base to give Kent State the lead.
Goth hit a bunt single back toward the pitcher, which scored another, before Brenna Brownfield clobbered a two-run homer to left field. Megan Turner singled and scampered to third on a double by Maria Cegledy and then scored on a wild pitch to cap off the frame.
Andrea Scali (18-7) recorded the win with nine strikeouts. She is closing in on becoming the program's first freshman 20-game winner since Emma Johnson in 2013.
State of the MAC
Entering the final weekend of conference games, Kent State is second in the Mid-American Conference with a 10-4 record. The Golden Flashes can finish first in the regular season based on win-percentage if current one seed Miami (14-4) loses in one or more games against Akron and Kent State wins twice. If Kent State wins two and Miami wins two of three games, both teams would have the same win-percentage and claim a co-championship. However, Miami would be the one seed at the MAC Tournament due to a tiebreaking series victory over Kent State. The Flashes could be the three seed if it falls twice and Central Michigan wins three games at Toledo. KSU and BGSU are the only teams in the league playing just two games this weekend.
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 fourth in hits (199), second in doubles (45) and seventh in RBIs (112). 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).
About Kent State
Sophomore Brenna Brownfield leads the squad with a .378 batting average and is tied for the club lead with five home runs. Her sister, senior Bailey Brownfield paces the team with 49 hits, 17 doubles and 25 RBIs. Senior Jen Cader and freshman Megan Turner are tied with Brenna Brownfield for the home run lead.
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 two times this season as the USA Softball National Collegiate Co-Player of the Week and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Pitcher of the Week.
#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). During the month of April she led the team in batting average (.460), slugging percentage (.800), RBIs (16), and on base percentage (.518). She has recorded multiple hits in each of her last four games.
- Kaitlyn Miller is on a six-game hitting streak and batted .378 in April.
- Hunter Brancifort has been hit by a pitch 36 times in a career which, is the most in school history. Her 11 hit by pitches this year are the sixth most in school history.
- 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.
- 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.
Scouting Bowling Green
The Falcons (21-28, 6-13 MAC) are playing their final weekend of competition in the 2019 season, as they will not qualify for the conference tournament. However, Bowling Green has showed fight late in the campaign and won four of its last five games, including a doubleheader sweep over Wright State. Madi McCoy paces the team with a .347 batting average, nine homers and 31 RBIs. McCoy had her first career two-long ball game on Tuesday against Cleveland State. Alex Sorgi is a speed threat with a conference-best 30 stolen bases. Meredith Miller is the ace of the staff and commands a 2.98 ERA and 181 strikeouts. In her last three outings, she has walked four and struck out 27 in 23 innings of work.
Series History
Kent State leads the all-time series against Bowling Green, 70-44-1. The Golden Flashes have won 16 games in a row against the Falcons. Last season, Kent State won all three games at Bowling Green, with two games decided by just one run.
Up Next
The Golden Flashes have qualified for the MAC Tournament for a league-best 16th consecutive season, and will begin play on Wednesday, May 8th at Firestone Stadium in Akron. Be sure to follow the team on Twitter and check with kentstatesports.com for information on game time and opponent.
Follow the Flashes
Be sure to follow the Flashes on Twitter and Instagram for news and in-game updates about the squad.
