Kent State University
Northern Illinois
Kent State Travels to Northern Illinois for Three-Game Weekend Series
4/10/2026 1:40:00 PM | Softball
DEKALB, Ill. – Kent State Softball (17-19, 7-8 MAC) is back in action this weekend taking on the Huskies of Northern Illinois University. The three-game series begins with a doubleheader Saturday, Aprill 11 starting at 2:00 p.m. eastern time. The second game starts at 4:00 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. The finale will be on Sunday, April 12 at 1:00 p.m. The games will be streamed via NIU All-Access. Links to the stream and live stats can be found on the Kent State Softball schedule page.
Last Time Out
Kent State seeks to bounce back this weekend after dropping all three games of their home series against Akron earlier this week falling by scores of 5-13, 2-4, and 6-20 (April 7-8). The Flashes collected 11 hits in the opener scoring five runs in the late innings yet not finding a way out of an early hole as the Zips tallied eight in the first two frames. Game two was a closer contest as Kent State's pitching held Akron to just four runs, but the offense managed to scratch across just a pair. The series finale became lobsided in the later innings as the deficit ballooned. The Golden Flashes scored six runs on 12 hits. Aaralyn Nogay and Brynn Libler were bright spots throughout the series, combining for multiple multi-hit efforts, and Megan Claerhout drove in runs in each of the three games.
Scouting the Huskies
The Northern Illinois University Huskies enter the weekend with an overall record of 15-11 and a conference record of 9-5. Most recently, NIU swept Ball State University at home by final scores of 8-2, 11-1 (5 Innings). The Huskies are strong offensively hitting.334 as a team with 19 home runs and a .508 slugging percentage. The Huskie bats are led by Danielle Stewart who hitting .494 with 5 home runs and 29 RBIs, while Kayla Estrada (.284) provides the lineup's run-production backbone with a team-high 25 RBIs. NIU is aggressive on the basepaths having gone 36-for-39 in stolen base attempts. In the circle, Madison Carlson is the ace with a 7-0 record with a 2.48 ERA across 62.0 innings with 43 strikeouts. Defensively, NIU has committed 36 errors on the season.
On Deck for the Flashes
The Golden Flashes will take on the Bobcats of Ohio University at Devine Diamond during the weekend of April 17-18. The series starts Friday, April 17 at 3:00 p.m. and concludes with a doubleheader Saturday, April 18 with start times 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
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For complete coverage of Kent State Softball, 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.
Follow Kent State Athletics
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.
