The University of Akron Athletics
Softball Splits Games on Day Three of Rebel Spring Games
March 17 | Softball
- On the third day of competition at the Rebel Spring Games, The University of Akron softball team split a pair of games, falling to Eastern Illinois 3-0 and bouncing back to defeat Bucknell 8-6. The Zips move to 11-7 on the season and 5-1 in the tournament with one day of play remaining.
In the opening game, Eastern Illinois struck first with three straight hits to begin the contest, scoring two runs to give them a 2-0 lead that they would ultimately not relinquish. Akron totaled six hits the entire game, led by Sarah Earley who was 2-for-2 with a stolen base.
UA tried to rally late in the game but stranded two runners in both the sixth and seventh innings to be shutout for the first time all season. EIU tacked on a run in the top of the seventh off two singles and did not give up a hit in the bottom of the frame to end the game. Heather Bauer pitched 6.1 innings and suffered the loss, falling to 5-3 on the season.
Against Bucknell, Akron jumped on top in the first inning off an Alissa Birkhimer solo shot to right field, her fifth homer of the season. The Zips added two more runs in the third with doubles by Alex Feltes and Birkhimer to take a 3-0 lead. In the fifth, UA widened the gap even more when Katie Gross made it home after reaching on a single and a home run by Olivia Hegedus scored two runs, but Bucknell would come to life with a big sixth inning.
The Bison managed seven hits, all singles, that scored five runs to pull within one. With the bases loaded, the Zips were able to get a ground out to get out of the inning. In the next frame, Akron answered with two runs for some breathing room using small ball, as Bauer stole home on a delayed steal and Hegedus scored on a bunt single by Sarah Stromack.
Bucknell would attempt to come back in the bottom of the seventh with a single and a sacrifice fly that made it 8-6, but UA tallied the final out on a popup to the shortstop to claim the win. Birkhimer finished the game 2-for-3 with a team-high three RBI, while Hegedus was also 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Alex Riedeman (3-2) earned the win, going 5.1 innings and striking out four while allowing just three earned runs. Making her first appearance of the season, Andrea Arney got the save by pitching 1.2 innings to close out the game and preserve the win.
The Zips will wrap up the Rebel Spring Games on Thursday, March 17 with a 9 a.m. ET contest against Houston Baptist, who already fell to Akron 5-0 earlier in the tournament, and a 1 p.m. showdown with Butler.
