Kent State University
Cleveland State
Kent State Softball Back in Action Tuesday at Cleveland State
4/22/2024 10:53:00 AM | Softball
The Kent State softball team will play its final non-conference game of the season against Cleveland State on Tuesday at Viking Field. First pitch is now scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
About the Golden Flashes
Kent State (23-18, 9-10 MAC) moved into sixth in the conference standings after sweeping Bowling Green in a three-game series at Devine Diamond over the weekend. The Golden Flashes' bats were on fire with a .411 team batting average in the series.
Graduate student Julia Mazanec leads the way at the plate and holds top-10 rankings in the conference in batting average (.377), hits (49) and runs scored (32). Mazanec recorded Kent State's second multi-homer performance of the season in the series opener against Western Michigan this past Saturday.
Junior Savannah Wing is having a breakout season and is chasing the program's single-season doubles record. Wing has 17 two-baggers while batting .336 with a team-high 31 RBIs.
Senior Emily Lippe has launched a team-high nine home runs and is second on the team with 29 RBIs.
Sophomore Macy Irelan (7-7) leads the pitching staff with a 2.56 ERA and 102 strikeouts, which both third in the MAC. Freshman Megan Nuechterlein (16-8) is second in the conference with 13 wins.
Scouting the Opposition
Cleveland State (15-19) has lost three of its last five games after going 6-1 to open the month of April.
Melissa Holzopfel is one of five Vikings hitting .300 or better and has a team-high 24 RBIs. Holzopfel is also the top pitcher with a 12-7 record and 2.22 ERA. Emma Gilkerson leads the way with five home runs and ranks second in the Horizon League with a .586 slugging percentage.
Series History
Kent State is 42-15 all-time against Cleveland State. The Golden Flashes won the most recent meeting, 4-0, in Louisville, Kentucky on Feb. 27, 2016.
On Deck
Kent State will travel to first-place Miami for the final road games of the season on April 26-27.
Follow the Flashes
Be sure to follow the Golden Flashes on X, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the team.
