Wednesday, March 27
Bethlehem, Pa.
2:30 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Kent State
Mountain Hawks welcome Kent State for home-opening doubleheader Wednesday
3/26/2019 4:11:00 PM | Softball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh played its first 23 games away from home, visiting places like South Orange, N.J., Wilmington, N.C., Phoenix, and last week Newark, Del., and Easton, Pa. On Wednesday, the Mountain Hawks finally get to play at home, and will remain there for a while. Lehigh opens its home schedule with a non-league doubleheader against Kent State, beginning at 2:30 p.m. at Leadership Park.
The twin bill will mark the first two of 10 straight games and a stretch of 15 out of 19 that Lehigh will play at home.
The Mountain Hawks are off to a 3-0 start in Patriot League play after sweeping their league-opening series at Lafayette over the weekend to move to 9-14 overall. Lehigh rode a pair of solid pitching performances and hit three home runs in 6-0 and 4-1 wins on Saturday, then erased an early 3-0 deficit to take the series finale 4-3 on Sunday.
Sophomore Payton Alsobrooks was a torrid 8-for-12 against the Leopards, with four extra-base hits including a three-run home run in the first game on Saturday with four RBIs and four runs scored in the series. Freshman Jaelynn Chesson 5-for-11 at Lafayette and hit a pair of home runs, including the go-ahead solo shot in the seventh inning on Sunday. Chesson now leads the Mountain Hawks in batting average (.403), home runs (three) and RBIs (12).
Freshman Gabriella Nori led the Mountain Hawks in the pitcher's circle, allowing just one unearned run on two hits over 12 innings of work, with two walks and 19 strikeouts. She threw a one-hitter in Saturday's second game with 12 strikeouts and then came on in relief with five scoreless, one-hit innings to earn the win in Sunday's series finale. Nori is now 4-6 on the season, while junior Parker Boyd is 4-5 with a team-best 3.73 ERA.
Alsobrooks and Nori both received honorable mention recognition from the Patriot League Tuesday for their efforts against the Leopards.
Kent State brings a 9-16 record into a four-game New Jersey/Pennsylvania swing. The Golden Flashes will play a doubleheader at Monmouth Tuesday before visiting Lehigh on Wednesday. Kent State opened MAC play by winning 2-of-3 games at Toledo last weekend.
Kennadie Goth leads the Golden Flashes with a .385 batting average, while Hunter Brancifort has four home runs and 12 RBIs. Andrea Scali has been the top pitcher with an 8-6 record, 3.89 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 77.1 innings.
Kent State, like Lehigh, most recently won its conference tournament and qualified for NCAA Regionals in 2017.
The Golden Flashes have won the two previous meetings with the Mountain Hawks. Kent State beat Lehigh 9-2 in Raleigh, N.C. in February 2012 and posted an 8-6 win last March at the Duke Inaugural Tournament. The Mountain Hawks erased an early 4-0 deficit to tie the game at 6-6 before the Golden Flashes plated two runs in the seventh inning.
Following Wednesday's doubleheader, Lehigh will host its first Patriot League series of the season when the Mountain Hawks welcome Bucknell for three games, beginning with a doubleheader Saturday at noon. The Bison are also 3-0 in league play after a home sweep over Colgate.
Like Lehigh Softball on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
The twin bill will mark the first two of 10 straight games and a stretch of 15 out of 19 that Lehigh will play at home.
The Mountain Hawks are off to a 3-0 start in Patriot League play after sweeping their league-opening series at Lafayette over the weekend to move to 9-14 overall. Lehigh rode a pair of solid pitching performances and hit three home runs in 6-0 and 4-1 wins on Saturday, then erased an early 3-0 deficit to take the series finale 4-3 on Sunday.
Sophomore Payton Alsobrooks was a torrid 8-for-12 against the Leopards, with four extra-base hits including a three-run home run in the first game on Saturday with four RBIs and four runs scored in the series. Freshman Jaelynn Chesson 5-for-11 at Lafayette and hit a pair of home runs, including the go-ahead solo shot in the seventh inning on Sunday. Chesson now leads the Mountain Hawks in batting average (.403), home runs (three) and RBIs (12).
Freshman Gabriella Nori led the Mountain Hawks in the pitcher's circle, allowing just one unearned run on two hits over 12 innings of work, with two walks and 19 strikeouts. She threw a one-hitter in Saturday's second game with 12 strikeouts and then came on in relief with five scoreless, one-hit innings to earn the win in Sunday's series finale. Nori is now 4-6 on the season, while junior Parker Boyd is 4-5 with a team-best 3.73 ERA.
Alsobrooks and Nori both received honorable mention recognition from the Patriot League Tuesday for their efforts against the Leopards.
Kent State brings a 9-16 record into a four-game New Jersey/Pennsylvania swing. The Golden Flashes will play a doubleheader at Monmouth Tuesday before visiting Lehigh on Wednesday. Kent State opened MAC play by winning 2-of-3 games at Toledo last weekend.
Kennadie Goth leads the Golden Flashes with a .385 batting average, while Hunter Brancifort has four home runs and 12 RBIs. Andrea Scali has been the top pitcher with an 8-6 record, 3.89 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 77.1 innings.
Kent State, like Lehigh, most recently won its conference tournament and qualified for NCAA Regionals in 2017.
The Golden Flashes have won the two previous meetings with the Mountain Hawks. Kent State beat Lehigh 9-2 in Raleigh, N.C. in February 2012 and posted an 8-6 win last March at the Duke Inaugural Tournament. The Mountain Hawks erased an early 4-0 deficit to tie the game at 6-6 before the Golden Flashes plated two runs in the seventh inning.
Following Wednesday's doubleheader, Lehigh will host its first Patriot League series of the season when the Mountain Hawks welcome Bucknell for three games, beginning with a doubleheader Saturday at noon. The Bison are also 3-0 in league play after a home sweep over Colgate.
Like Lehigh Softball on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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