Zips Rally For Split at Louisville Tournament

March 02 | Softball

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Akron softball team went 1-1 on the opening day of the Red and Black Invitational, falling to the host Louisville Cardinals, 7-4 before rallying for a 5-3 win in eight innings over Western Kentucky in the nightcap.

The Zips (3-4) jumped out to a quick start in the top of the first inning against the Cardinals, touching UL pitcher Kristen Wadwell for two runs and forcing an early pitching change. A pair of walks put Carrese Moody (Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Darby) and Kelsie Hanson (Katy, Texas/Katy) on with no outs, and Cali Stratton's (Liberty, Mo./Liberty) sacrifice bunt set up an RBI single from Julie Boyes (Uniontown, Ohio/Lake) that scored Moody. Hanson crossed home plate on a wild pitch from reliever Kassie Stanfill, and an error on Jaclyn Spirtos' (Medina, Ohio/Highland) grounder to third base allowed pinch runner Jaci Brindus to score.

The Cardinals answered back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. A single, walk and hit batsman loaded the bases with one out, and Brittany York took Boyes' offering up the middle to drive in two runs. Lindsay Bodeker (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota West) came on in relief of Boyes and allowed the third run to score with a wild pitch. They added another pair of runs with a two-out rally in the bottom of the second, using a walk and a pair of hits to take a 5-3 lead.

Akron got a run back in the top of the fifth on an RBI double from Spirtos, scoring Stratton who had reached on a single. Louisville put the game with another two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth, plating two more runs off a pair of hits and two Akron errors.

Bodeker (0-2) took the loss for Akron, allowing four runs with just two of those earned in 5 2/3 innings of work. She struck out two and walked one. Stratton led the Zips at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a run scored.

The Zips were on the board first in the victory over Western Kentucky with a run in the top of the third. Freshman Krista Hansen (Arlington, Wash./Arlington) reached on a fielder's choice and moved over to third on a single from Moody. Kelsie Hanson scored Hansen with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Western Kentucky came back with a run in the bottom half of the inning off Bodeker, but Hansen put the Zips back on top with her first career home run in the fifth. The Zips manufactured another run in the inning when a throwing error on Moody's grounder allowed Lisa McLean (Canton, Ohio/Perry) to come around from first base to score.

With the Zips leading 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Western Kentucky had runners and first and third with one out but Boyes came on in relief of Bodeker and threw out Kelsey McCauley at home and struck out Ashley Contreras to end the scoring threat. The excitement was short-lived as WKU used a two-run homer from Lindsay Antone to tie the game at 3-all in the bottom of the sixth inning.

With the international tiebreaker rule in effect in the top of the eighth, Spirtos was placed on second and scored after a single from Katrina Moffett (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea) and an error put pinch hitter Paige Smith (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) on base. A two-out error on McLean's ball to second base allowed Smith to come home and seal the win for the Zips.

Boyes (2-2) earned the win in relief, allowing two earned runs in 3 2/3 innings and striking out four.

Tomorrow is an open day as the tournament schedule was rearranged due to the threat of inclement weather in the Louisville area. The Zips are back on the diamond on Sunday, facing Bradley at 12:30 p.m.