The University of Akron Athletics
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Western Michigan
Akron Softball Drops Two Close Games to Western Michigan
April 20 | Softball
AKRON, Ohio – The Akron softball team dropped two closely contested contests to the Western Michigan Broncos, falling 3-2 and 5-3 in eight innings on Friday at Lee R. Jackson Field in a Mid-American Conference doubleheader.
The Zips (15-27-1, 1-11 MAC) and Broncos (21-17, 7-5 MAC) battled in both games, with the Zips coming from behind twice to tie the game.
The Zips fell behind early in game one, giving up two runs on three hits as WMU grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Akron looked like it would answer in the bottom half of the inning, with two of the first three batters reaching base. However, the Broncos' pitcher would strike out the next two batters to end the threat.
After making a great play in the hole at short in the top of the second, Keelia Nester drove in the first run of the game for Akron to begin the two-out rally. An Alex Helfrich RBI single two batters later tied the game at 2-2.
The Zips had a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the third inning on a second two-out rally, but Dorr was thrown out trying to steal third to end the inning.
Neither team had much of a chance to added runs on the scoreboard until the top of the sixth when WMU was able to manufacture a run to grab a 3-2 advantage. The run would prove to be the game winner as Akron would fall 3-2 in the game.
Brittany Maurer (13-19) would be tabbed with the loss, allowing three runs on five hits and walking three while striking out two. Nester went 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI.
WMU opened game two with three runs in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. The Zips committed two errors in the inning. Maurer, taking over in the circle for Andrea Arney, was able to end the threat with three Broncos on base.
Arney would re-enter the game in the top of the second and would show more comfort in the circle. She would sit down nine of the next 11 batters, giving up two singles over the next three innings.
Akron looked to get back into the game in the bottom of the fourth, placing the first two batters of the inning on base. Helfrich would score on a passed ball and a throwing error by the WMU catcher to put the Zips on the scoreboard. Kellie Roudabush would tie the game at 3-3 with a two-run homer to left center.
The Broncos had runners at first and third with two outs in the top of the sixth, but were unable to push across a run. The Zips had their chance in the bottom of the sixth, but both runners would be stranded.
This game would go into extra innings and WMU would score a run in the top of the eighth on a bases-loaded ground out to take a 4-3 lead. A wild pitch by Alissa Birkhimer would give the Broncos a 5-3 advantage.
Helfrich would lead off the bottom of the eighth, but the Zips would not be able to tie the game.
Helfrich and Roudabush each went 2-for-4 for the game while Roudabush hit her first home run of the season and added two RBIs.
Akron and Northern Illinois will face off on Saturday at 2 p.m. before concluding the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
