| PENN STATE vs. KENT STATE | | | | 1-17 (0-0, B1G) | 11-7 (0-0, MAC) |
| Saturday, March 17-Sunday March 18 | Nittany Lions Softball Park
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Beard Field University Park, Pa. | |
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March 16, 2018
PENN STATE OPENS 2018 HOME SLATE AT BEARD FIELD
After playing its first 18 games on the road, the Penn State softball team will open its 2018 home slate Saturday, March 17-Sunday, March 18 against Kent State at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. The Nittany Lions and the Golden Flashes kick off the three-game series Saturday, March 17 with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. before concluding the series Sunday, March 18 with a single game at 1 p.m.
CATCHING THE GAMES FROM HOME
Fans who cannot make the trip with the Nittany Lions can catch all the action live by following along with live Twitter updates @PennStateSB while also following live stats at GoPSUsports.com and watching live on LionVision.
SERIES HISTORY WITH KENT STATE
Penn State and Kent State have met on the field 43 times with the Nittany Lions holding onto the 26-17 advantage. The two teams have not played each other since head coach Amanda Lehotak's first season at the helm of the program when the Blue and White had a 9-1 five-inning setback to the Golden Flashes in 2014. Prior to the 2014 meeting, Penn State won five-straight against Kent State with one win in 2013, two in 2011, and two in 2010.
SCOUTING KENT STATE
The Golden Flashes are 11-7 overall on the season and hitting .287 as a team, while its opponents are hitting .288. Holly Speers leads the Kent State offense with a .551 batting average and 27 hits, which includes five doubles, five home runs, and 24 RBI. Kennadie Goth has made 11 starts and ranks second on the team with 15 hits, while tying a team-high two steals and four other Golden Flashes are hitting above .300 this season with Allie Luther ranking second with nine RBI this season. Kent State carries a .978 fielding percentage with 11 errors on the season, while opponents have committed 34 errors on Golden Flash hits. Finally, in the circle Madi Huck has thrown 56.0 innings as the ace with 33 strikeouts and a 2.57 ERA on the season. Brenna Brownfield has tossed 31.2 innings this season in nine appearances and five starts and holds a 2-2 overall record with a 4.26 ERA.
WILLIAMS EARNS SPOT IN THE LINEUP
Junior Meghan Williams ceased her opportunity when she was put in the starting lineup against Northwestern at the Houston Hilton Plaza Classic Friday, March 9. The junior first baseman went on a four-game hitting streak as she earned the start in the next five games for the Nittany Lions. Williams currently has a .286 batting average with four hits and has scored once for the Blue and White this season.
CONFERENCE TOUR
Penn State will see a slew of representatives from several different conferences this season, taking on teams from 11 different leagues in 2018. The Nittany Lions will take on teams from the American Athletic Conference (UCF, Houston), Atlantic Coast Conference (Georgia Tech, Pitt, Virginia Tech), Atlantic Sun Conference (Jacksonville, Lipscomb), Big 12 (Iowa State), Colonial Athletic Conference (Hofstra, JMU), Mid-American Conference (Kent State), Northeast Conference (Robert Morris, Saint Francis), Patriot League (Bucknell), Southeastern Conference (Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M), and Southland Conference (Central Arkansas).
BLUE AND WHITE TO PLAY 24 HOME GAMES IN 2018
Penn State will play 24 of its 56 scheduled games insides the friendly confines of Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field. The home-heavy schedule will be a nice change for the Blue and White as it played only 15 of its 56 games at home in the 2017 campaign. Penn State will kick off its season with 20 away contests before opening its 2018 home campaign with a weekend series against non-conference opponent Kent State, March 16-18. The Nittany Lions hold a 61-59-1 overall record at Beard Field in its seven year existence which is good for a .504 winning percentage. Penn State will play 10 home contests in the month of March before taking on six opponents in 14 games in the month of April.
FEY POISED FOR BREAKOUT FRESHMAN SEASON
Freshman Dani Fey was as standout at the plate for the Nittany Lions, moving into the leadoff spot in week three of the season. Fey hit .385 on the weekend and carried a .556 on-base percentage, drawing four walks, while also holding a .385 slugging percentage. The freshman outfieler and catcher tallied five hits while scoring a team-high five times for the Blue and White. Fey also stole two bases for Penn State on the weekend. The freshman outfielder carried a team-high 12-game reached base streak before breaking it against Houston, March 11.
SHAFFER FINDS CONFIDENCE IN THE CIRCLE
Junior hurler Madison Shaffer found her stride at the Jacksonville Tournament for the Nittany Lions. Shaffer made a statement in the circle in week three of the season, pitching in all five games and making two starts for a total of 16.1 innings. The junior hurler came in against Western Carolina in relief and tossed 4.0 innings, striking out four and surrendering just one run. In her second appearance of the day, Shaffer earned the start and struck out a career-high eight batters at Jacksonville, while giving up just five hits in the loss.
ON DECK
The Nittany Lions continue their home stretch Wednesday, March 21 with a mid-week non-conference doubleheader against Hofstra before opening Big Ten Conference play against the Maryland Terrapins Friday, March 23-Sunday, March 25 at Nittany Lion Softball Park and Beard Field.
