Kent State University
Ball State
Flashes Open MAC Slate with Weekend Series at Ball State
3/21/2024 3:05:00 PM | Softball
KENT, Ohio - Kent State travels to Muncie to open the conference portion of the 2024 schedule against Ball State. Friday's game has been moved up from 3 p.m. to 12 p.m. to avoid possible bad weather, followed by a Saturday doubleheader scheduled to start at 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed live on Ball State's website.
About the Golden Flashes
The Golden Flashes (14-8) enter Mid-American Conference play riding a seven-game winning streak, including a three-game sweep of Manhattan. Kent State outscored the Jaspers 19-2 to wrap up the non-conference slate.
Kent State's offense has shown much improvement early in the season, ranking second in the Mid-American Conference in batting average (.323) and third in scoring (5.54 runs per game).
Junior Savannah Wing continues to swing a hot bat, ranking third in the MAC in batting average (.426), fourth in on-base percentage (.493) and sixth in slugging percentage (.721). Graduate student Alexandria Whitmore leads the squad with 27 hits and 9 runs scored after going 7-for-11in the Empire State, coming around to score six times. Senior Emily Lippe is hitting a career-best .348 and leads the team with six homers and ties with Wing with a team-best 21 RBIs.
Freshman Megan Nuechterlein (9-3) ranks second in the MAC in wins and is coming off a complete game, two-hitter on Saturday. Nuechterlein sports a 3.29 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 51.0 innings so far this season. Sophomore Macy Irelan is tied for the conference lead with two saves and boasts the fourth-lowest ERA among MAC pitchers (2.18). She has tossed 74.0 innings, appearing in 19 of 22 games, and was named the MAC Pitcher of the Week after earning three wins in a dominant week where she posted a 0.52 ERA and held opponents to just a .103 batting average over 17.1 innings.
Scouting the Opposition
Ball State (15-14, 2-1 MAC) is in the midst of a seven-game homestand and is coming off a series win against Ohio. The Cardinals are hitting .248 as a squad, led by Haley Wynn (31) and McKayla Timmons (30) in hits. Timmons ranks third in both the conference and the nation with 15 home runs and sits second in the MAC and eighth nationally with 37 RBIs. Wynn ranks seventh in Ball State history with 212 career base knocks.
Francys King leads Ball State in the circle, sporting an 8-5 record and a 3.34 ERA in 88.0 innings of work. She leads the team with 41 strikeouts.
Series History
Kent State holds a 52-39 advantage over the Cardinals in the all-time series. The two squads each took a game in last year's series, with the Flashes winning the opener 4-3, before the rubber match was canceled due to weather.
On Deck for the Flashes
The Flashes stay on the road as MAC play continues, traveling to DeKalb for a three-game series against Northern Illinois. Kent State next plays at home on Tuesday, April 2, for a doubleheader against Ohio.
Follow the Flashes
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