The University of Akron Athletics
Baseball Wins Third Straight, Rolls Past Eastern Kentucky
March 13 | Baseball
Junior Phil Bednar (Monroe Falls, Ohio/Stow/Ball State)
matched a career high with four RBI to lead the University of Akron
baseball team to a 10-4 victory over Eastern Kentucky at Academy
Park Thursday afternoon.
It was the third-straight win for the Zips (8-5), who played from
behind for much of the day. Vince
Chiera (Akron, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), who finished with three
hits, broke a 4-all tie with an RBI-single before Bednar delivered
the knock-out blow with a two-run double to highlight a four-run
seventh inning.
UA starter Zach Yike (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont)
wasn't sharp but pitched well enough to pick up the decision,
allowing four runs in six innings of work. Yike (2-1) allowed two
runs in the first and fifth innings, but kept Akron within striking
distance throughout.
Eric Hash (0-1) took the loss for the Colonels in relief of starter
Michael Martinez, who allowed three runs – two earned –
in 4.2 innings of work.
It was also a big day for senior Doug
McNulty (Homer City, Pa./Homer Center), who finished with three
hits – including his first home run of the season.
The Colonels pushed a pair of runs across on a two-out single by
Matt Davis in their first at-bat to take an early lead.
But the Zips got back to even in the fourth inning and took the
lead in the fifth. Chiera reached on an error to start the UA
fourth and moved all the way to third base on an unusual at-bat by
Drew Turocy (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield), who was
attempting to put down a sacrifice bunt.
Turocy bounced the first pitch he saw down the third-base line and
over the bag when the third baseman chose not to field it. The
sharply-hit ball rolled into left field and placed runners on
second and third for Brett Savage (Perry,
Ohio/Massillon/Youngstown State), who plated the first run of the
inning with a ground ball.
The next batter, Bednar tied the game at 2-all with a sacrifice fly
to center field and McNulty gave Akron its first lead with a
two-out, solo shot to left-center in the fifth.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Dylan McMaine and Tyler
Rehmel connected on back-to-back homers in the home half to put EKU
back on top 4-3.
Once again, UA had an answer and tied the game with a single tally
in the sixth when Savage doubled off the base of the wall in left
and came across on a ball back up the middle by Bednar.
Kevin Haas (North Olmstead, Ohio/St. Ignatius)
added an RBI-single in the seventh and Turocy brought home a pair
with a base hit in the eighth to provide more than enough insurance
for the Zips.
Akron will next play Illinois State and Bucknell in an
unconventional doubleheader Friday starting at 10:30 a.m. against
the Cardinals. UA will face the Bison in the second game, starting
at 3 p.m.
Zips Notebook: Dating back to last season, Akron
has won seven straight games in Bradenton ... Haas recorded a pair
of singles against the Colonels. The sophomore has hit safely in
all 13 games this season ... UA has scored 21 runs in its past two
games ... Reliever Garrett Knoll (Amherst, Ohio/Amherst Steele)
retired all six batters he faced in relief of Yike. The redshirt
junior hasn't allowed a run in his last three appearances, spanning
5.1 innings ... Akron's 15 hits for the game matched a season
high.
