Kent State University
Ball State
Flashes Travel to Ball State for Pivotal MAC Series
4/8/2021 11:51:00 AM | Softball
The Kent State softball team will face its toughest challenge of the Mid-American Conference season to-date when it visits first-place Ball State this weekend for a four-game series at Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
The weekend weather forecast in Muncie has caused a slight shift in the series schedule. A doubleheader will now be played on Friday, with first pitch at 1 p.m. ET. The teams are now scheduled for single games on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET and Sunday at 12 p.m. ET.
Follow the Action
The entire series will be streamed for free on Ball State All-Access. Game updates will also be posted on the @KentStSoftball Twitter account.
Last Time Out
Kent State (11-14, 8-4 MAC) split a four-game series with Ohio at the Diamond at Dix. The Golden Flashes collected 35 hits in the series and were outscored, 17-16.
Senior Kennadie Goth was the offensive catalyst out of the leadoff spot, going 8-for-14 and scoring three runs. Junior Brooklyn Whitt batted .500 and hit the game-winning two-run double to give the Golden Flashes a 6-5 walk-off win on Saturday. Senior Kaitlyn Miller hit two home runs in a game for the first time in her career during Saturday's first contest. Senior Alexis Taube belted her fifth home run of the season and had a team-high five RBIs.
Freshman Jessica LeBeau was named MAC Pitcher of the Week for her stellar performances during the series. LeBeau earned a pair of complete game victories and appeared in three games, totaling 25 strikeouts over 16.0 innings and posting a 1.75 ERA. Her 13 batters in Saturday's doubleheader nightcap are the most by a pitcher in a MAC contest this season. Sophomore Morgan Bowers threw 5.1 innings and had a 1.31 ERA
About the Flashes
Kent State's challenging non-conference schedule that ranked as the 17th-toughest in the country prepared it for a strong start to the MAC schedule. The Golden Flashes rank third in the conference in batting average (.303) and slugging percentage (.458) and their 5.16 runs per game rank fourth. The bats have exploded during the first three MAC series against Toledo, Northern Illinois and Ohio, as Kent State is batting .381 and slugged 17 homers while averaging 7.83 runs per game.
The outfield trio of junior Brooklyn Whitt and seniors Alexis Taube and Kennadie Goth are all hitting better than .400 on the season. Whitt is second in the MAC in batting average (.443) and hits (31) while leading the Flashes in runs (19), doubles (7), on-base percentage (.519) and stolen bases (5). Taube ranks in the top-five in the MAC in batting average (.413), home runs (5) and RBIs (24) while leading Kent State in slugging percentage (.714). Goth is hitting .409 and has a team-high five sacrifice bunts.
Senior Brenna Brownfield, the 2019 MAC Player of the Year, ranks in the top-five in the conference in home runs (5) and RBIs (22) despite not playing in the Ohio series this past weekend. Senior Carlee Selle and junior Megan Turner have 16 RBIs each.
Freshman Jessica LeBeau (8-6) has been the Flashes' top pitcher with seven complete games, including three shutouts. LeBeau ranks second in the MAC in total strikeouts (113), third in strikeouts per seven innings (9.57) and innings pitched (82.2) and is fourth in and wins (8).
Scouting Ball State
The Cardinals (14-9, 8-0 MAC) is one of two remaining unbeaten teams after the first three weekends of the conference season, outscoring Bowling Green and Central Michigan by a combined score of 81-39 while hitting .401 as a team. Ball State's offense has been prolific this season and ranks in the top-25 nationally in runs per game (6.43), batting average (.322), doubles (45) and on-base percentage. The pitching staff has a 4.50 earned run average and has displayed control issues with a conference-high 32 wild pitches to go with 22 hit batters.
A trio of Cardinals enter the weekend with a .400 or higher batting average. Faith Hensley is one of only two players who rank in the top-5 in the conference in batting average (.439), on-base percentage (.548) and slugging percentage (.772) Henley was named MAC Player of the Week on Tuesday and has a team-high 24 RBIs. Against conference pitching, Stacy Payton is hitting a MAC-best .560 and is in the midst of an 11-game hitting streak. Payton owns a .409 batting average overall with nine doubles and 21 RBIs. Haley Dominique leads the team with 28 hits and has a .400 batting average. Tieghan Morio and Deborah Jones both have 5-2 records to lead the pitching staff. Morio has a 3.79 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 40.2 innings, while Jones leads Ball State with 35 strikeouts and 49.2 innings pitched to go with a 4.65 ERA.
Series History
Kent State is 51-32 all-time against Ball State. The Golden Flashes beat the Cardinals, 4-1 in a 2019 MAC Tournament game, the last time the teams met on the diamond. The teams have not met for a series since 2018 and have played only seven times dating back to the 2015 season. Kent State owns a 5-2 record in those contests.
On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will begin a seven-game homestand at the Diamond at Dix against Case Western Reserve on Sunday, April 18. The Flashes are then scheduled to host Buffalo for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 20 before welcoming Western Michigan for a four-game series that weekend.
