The Kent State softball team (7-25, 0-8 MAC) have now embarked on a 10-game losing streak.

“It’s hard when you have loss after loss, trying to find that momentum and trying to find that confidence when times are tough,” coach Jessica O’Donnell said. 

Kent State lost 12-4 last March 25 against Robert Morris University (15-10, 7-2).

“We play our best when we score first, and we didn’t have the opportunity to do that,” O’Donnell said. “I just think we lacked the ability to get ahead early and have runners score.”

The Colonials scored five runs in the top of the second, which helped them lead 8-0 entering the bottom of the fifth.

A week later, KSU played a doubleheader against Ohio University in Athens.

“We have to start strong and finish stronger,” O’Donnell said. “We just haven’t been doing that right now.”

The Flashes lost 2-1 in game one. 

“We didn’t do a great job with situational hitting when we had runners in scoring position, and that’s what hurt us in game one,” O’Donnell said. 

Senior pitcher Delaney Nagy had her second complete game as a Flash.

“I thought that she pitched amazingly and gave us the opportunity to stay in that game,” O’Donnell said. 

Nagy pitched all six innings and held the Bobcats (24-9, 7-1) to four hits, which is their third-lowest total of the season.

“With the injury that she’s working through, she’s really been putting the team on her back and powering through,” O’Donnell said. “So I’m super impressed with her drive right now.”

Kent State lost 8-2 in the last game of the day.

“I think they’re overthinking a lot at the plate offensively and trying to think about strategy and how the pitcher is going to pitch us, and that’s just not a successful approach offensively,” O’Donnell said. 

Sophomore infielder Megan Claerhout had a solo homerun for the Flashes in the top of the second. 

Multiple errors allowed the Bobcats to score four unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth. 

Up next

The Flashes will host the No.1 seed in the Mid-American Conference, Ball State, on Friday. 

“I believe they’re going to show up, give it all they got and it’s going to be a good, close game,“ O’Donnell said. 

Kent State has won the last three times the team has played the Cardinals. 

“I think we’re one game away from changing the trajectory of where the season is going,” O’Donnell said. “I still feel like we’re coming together in spurts. We just need that one breakthrough game.”

Emily Lowen is a reporter. Contact her at elowen@kent.edu.