Kent State University
Bucknell
Golden Flashes Travel to North Carolina for UNC Greensboro Invitational
2/19/2026 12:48:00 PM | Softball
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Kent State Softball team (5-4) is back in action this weekend at the University of North Carolina Greensboro Invitational. The Golden Flashes have five scheduled games including a pair against Bucknell University, one against Canisius College, and two against hosting UNCG. Live stats for each game will be available and available on the event central page linked above and on Kent State Softball's schedule page.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, February 20
10:00 a.m. vs. Bucknell
12:30 p.m. vs. Canisius
Saturday, February 21
10:00 a.m. vs. Bucknell
3:00 p.m. at UNCG
Sunday, February 22
12:30 p.m. at UNCG
Last Time Out
Kent State went 3-1 over the weekend, with all four games played at Winthrop's Terry Field. The Flashes opened Friday with a 6-3 win over RMU, scoring all six of their runs in the third inning on home runs from Aaralyn Nogay and Caleigh Shaulis. Riley Miller earned the win in the circle. Later that day, Kent State fell 4-2 to Winthrop, unable to generate much offense until late. Alena Hillyard was sharp in relief, allowing just two hits over 4.2 innings. Tayler Likens hit a solo home run in the seventh. On Saturday, the Flashes edged Le Moyne 6-5 in a back-and-forth game. Shaulis hit a two-run homer as part of a five-run third inning, and Ciara Camacho added a key RBI triple. Hillyard earned the win. Kent State closed the weekend with a dominant 9-5 victory over Winthrop. Shaulis and Leilani Johnson both homered, with Johnson's grand slam in the sixth inning being the big blow. Miller picked up the win to improve to 2-0 on the season. Overall, Shaulis had a strong weekend at the plate with multiple home runs across the games, and the pitching staff showed depth with Miller and Hillyard both contributing significant innings.
Scouting the Opposition
Bucknell
The Bucknell Bison have posted a record of 1-4 through five games. They enter this weekend with team ERA of 7.62. Avery Powers has been most productive in the circle with a 3.50 ERA and 20 strikeouts through 14.0 innings pitched. Offensively, the Bison have shown some pop with a .324 team average and players like Skye Perez (.462), Meadow Gambacurta (.429), and Molly Lawson (.333 with a team-high 4 doubles) providing production in the lineup. They have left 33 runners on base in five games. Their defense has been solid at .952 fielding percentage.
Canisius
Canisius comes in boasting a 3-1 record. Olivia Manchester has been the ace for the Golden Griffins sitting at 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA and nine Ks in 11 innings, while Brooke Bodewes adds a save and scoreless relief work. Their offense is led by Ella Johel (.500, 1 HR, 6 runs scored) and Mia Martin (.385) and the team has shown power with four home runs in just four games. Their team fielding (.963) is clean as they have held opponents to a .283 average. The main vulnerability is their depth in the circle.
UNC Greensboro
The UNCG Spartans will be hosting their second straight weekend of softball games at UNCG Softball Stadium this weekend having just hosted the Spiro Classic, where they went 4-1 in their home stadium. Overall, UNCG is 5-5. Brooklyn Shroyer has been their workhorse going 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA and a remarkable 38 strikeouts in 32.1 innings. She is backed up by Nadia Andarowski (1.75 ERA) and Rhyann Jones (1.58 ERA in relief). As a staff, they've held opponents to just a .233 average with a 2.03 team ERA over 10 games. The Spartan bats are dangerous from top to bottom. Kaylyn Belfield is hitting .447 with 17 hits on the season, Nya South brings pop with 3 home runs and an .826 slugging percentage, and Macy Michael adds 3 homers and 8 RBI while hitting .355. The team has slugged .447 with 11 home runs in 10 games. UNCG has committed 11 errors and opponents have actually out-fielded them on the season.
On Deck for the Flashes
Following this weekend, Kent State will turn their attention to the UNC Greensboro Invitational over the weekend of Feb. 20-22. The Golden Flashes will take on Bucknell University, Canisius College, hosting University of North Carolina Greensboro.
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For complete coverage of Kent State Athletics, download the official Kent State Golden Flashes app (iOS, Android) and follow the Golden Flashes on social media on X, Instagram , and Facebook for news and updates.
