Zips Fall Twice to Ohio in Sunday Doubleheader

May 15 | Baseball

ATHENS, Ohio – The University of Akron baseball team dropped a pair of contests to the Ohio Bobcats on Sunday. The Zips (14-35, 6-18 Mid-American Conference) lost the resumption of Saturday's weather suspended game 7-3 and the fell in the series finale, 1-0.

Game 2 Recap

Akron was unable to make up a three-run deficit in the final three innings of the second game of the series, losing 7-3.

Dan Ward hit a pinch hit solo home run to lead off the eighth inning to provide the only scoring in Sunday's action. Ohio reliever Tyler Stage shut down the Akron bats with three innings of relief. Stage allowed just one hit – a pinch hit single by Samuel Trecaso in the top of the ninth.

In Saturday's action, the Bobcats opened the scoring when they hit back-to-back doubles to begin the bottom of the first off Akron starter Alex Loftin. Ohio would tack on a run with a Seth Streich one-out single to make it 2-0 after one.

The Zips would get three unanswered runs over the next two frames to take a 3-2 lead after 2.5 innings. Dan Burant drove in Jason Corzine with an RBI single in the second. Watkins then homered for the second straight game to lead off the third and tie the game, and James Sheltrown added a sacrifice fly.

Ohio then strung together five hits in the fourth to plate four runs and take a 6-3 lead. A three-run homer by Adam Gecewich highlighted the inning.

Both Loftin and Ohio starter Brent Choban settled in after the third as each put up three-straight shutout innings before play was stopped. Loftin allowed just one hit in his final three innings of work.

Game 3 Recap

A solo home run by Bryan Barnes in the sixth-inning was the only scoring of Sunday's series finale, as Ohio took a 1-0 pitcher's duel over Akron.

Akron starter Myles McVeigh threw six strong innings, allowing just one run on six hits. The freshman righty struck out three and did not issue a walk in taking the tough-luck loss. OU's Seth Streich fired a complete game four-hitter to take the win.

The Zips had a chance to tie the ballgame in the top of the ninth. Brandon White reached on a fielder's choice, moved to second on a ground out by Kurt Gamby, and went to third on a wild pitch. Streich struck out Tyler Begun however to end the game.

McVeigh found himself in a jam in the fifth after the Bobcats started the inning with back-to-back seeing eye singles to put runners on the corners with nobody out. McVeigh struck out Trace Voshell for the first out of the inning. McVeigh then induced a 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Wes O'Neill. The double play was perfectly turned by the Zips infield as third baseman Tyler Begun looked Garrett Black back to the bag at third before Sam Watkins made a good turn and Kurt Gamby made the pick at first.

The Zips stranded a runner on third in the sixth. James Sheltrown led off the inning with an infield single and moved to second on Matt Corpora's ground out to second. Sheltrown took third on a Streich wild pitch, but was unable to score as Watkins and Samuel Trecaso were retired on a ground out and a fly out to end the inning.

Ohio would grab the lead in the bottom of the sixth on the strength of a two-out solo home run by Barnes.

Akron relievers Benjamin Danziger and Chris Bassitt combined to shutout the Bobcats in the final two innings.