Kent State University
Youngstown State
Golden Flashes Host Youngstown State in Midweek Doubleheader
4/20/2026 4:00:00 PM | Softball
KENT – The Kent State University Softball team is scheduled to host their final non-conference games of the regular season on Tuesday, April 21 at Devine Dimond. The Golden Flashes will take on the Penguins of Youngstown State University at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The games will be broadcast via BoxCast with Dane Richardson and Jackson Lawrence on the call. Live stats and stream links will be available on the Kent State Softball schedule page.
Last Time Out
The Golden Flashes look to bounce back from their most recent series falling in all three games to Ohio University. In the opening game of Friday's doubleheader, the Golden Flashes jumped out to a 2-1 lead after one inning behind a two-RBI single from Brynn Libler, but Ohio erupted for six runs in the second and four more in the third to pull away for a 13-5 victory. In game two Ohio jumped on Kent State early going on to earn a 10-1 decision. Kent State showed a lot of fight in the Saturday series finale. Leilani Johnson's two-run home run in the sixth brought the Flashes within two at 8-5, and Megan Claerhout plated a run in the seventh to make it 9-6. Ohio ultimately held on for a 9-6 win. Gabby Quinn, Megan Claerhout, and Leilani Johnson were among the offensive bright spots for Kent State across the series.
Scouting the Penguins
The Youngstown State Penguins enter Tuesday first in the Horizon League with a 9-3 conference record. They are 26-15 overall on the 2026 season having just won a home series against the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay two games to one. The Penguins are a strong offensive club hitting .341 as a team with 39 home runs and a .530 slugging percentage. They are led by a trio of standout performers including Kennedy Dean slashing .367 with 9 home runs and a team-high 54 RBIs, Selah Moyer batting .400 with 8 homers and 47 RBIs while posting a .768 slugging percentage, and Emma Gilkerson adds a .361 average with 8 home runs. In the circle Kennedy Kimball has been the clear standout, posting a 2.50 ERA with 69 strikeouts across 84.0 innings and three shutouts on the season. The Penguins have also been solid defensively, committing just 46 errors on the year.
On Deck for the Flashes
The Golden Flashes will return to MAC play this weekend traveling to take on Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The series begins Friday, April 24 at 3:00 p.m. and continues with the doubleheader Saturday, April 25 at 1:00 p.m. an 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.
