The University of Akron Athletics
Softball Swept at Niagara in Thursday Doubleheader
April 08 | Softball
- The University of Akron softball team saw its three-game winning streak snapped in midweek action at Niagara University on Thursday afternoon. The Zips (16-13) dropped a pitcher's duel in game one 1-0 and lost the second game by a margin of 7-3 as the Purple Eagles (10-10) completed the sweep.
In game one, senior Alex Riedeman had a solid outing despite picking up the loss. She went 6.0 innings and gave up six hits and no walks while fanning six. The Snohomish, Wash. native is now 8-4 on the season. At the plate, Akron managed only four hits off of Julie DiMatteo. Senior Alex Feltes had two of those, going 2-for-3. The other two hits came from Alissa Birkhimer and Cassie Gleisner.
Niagara scored the game's only run in the sixth inning. The leadoff batter grounded out to third, but the next hitter knocked a single up the middle. Next up, the Zips got the lead runner out on a fielder's choice, leaving a runner at first with two outs. The damage was done when NU's Jen Hare sent a double into left field that scored the runner from first, and that would be enough to win the game.
In game two, Niagara did all their scoring in the first two innings to put the Zips in a big hole. Andrea Arney (0-1) was saddled with the loss, as she pitched 4.1 innings in relief and gave up four hits and one run. Each team recorded eight hits for the game, but Akron was not able to get timely hits to bring runners home, leaving a total of 10 runners on base.
The Purple Eagles began the scoring with a two-run shot to center in the bottom of the first by Becky Zill. In the next frame, Akron answered with back-to-back singles from Olivia Hegedus and Sarah Earley to start the inning. Gleisner moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt, and Hegedus scored when Sarah Stromack reached on an error by the shortstop, making it 2-1 in favor of Niagara.
The second inning would be the Zips' undoing, as NU scored five runs on five hits to take a commanding lead. The first three runs of the inning came after two doubles, and then Teresa Healy hammered a home run down the left field line to plate two more, giving her team a 7-1 advantage.
Akron would come back to score in the fifth with a lead-off homer by Feltes to left center to make it 7-2. Katie Gross followed with a single and Birkhimer reached on an error, but both runners were left stranded. The Zips would score one more run in the seventh, as Felicia Houtz came home on a single by Earley, but again two runners were left on base.
This weekend, UA will travel to Athens to take on Ohio in Mid-American Conference play. The teams will square off on Saturday, April 9 at 2 p.m. ET and again on Sunday, April 10 at 1 p.m.
