The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Toledo
Roudabush's walk-off double lifts Softball past Toledo, 4-3
April 12 | Softball
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AKRON, Ohio -- Kellie Roudabush launched a double off the wall in dead center field to drive in the winning run for Akron as the Zips took down Toledo, 4-3, in eight innings Saturday afternoon at Lee R. Jackson Field.
UA came from behind three different times in the game, but the double from Roudabush with two away in the bottom of the eighth gave Akron the lead that finally held, improving its record to 18-10 overall and 4-3 in the Mid-American Conference.
Roudabush was 2-for-4 on the day with a pair of RBI to lead the Zips' offense. Akron also received big hits from Jessica Reiman, who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and recorded her first career home run.
Toledo (14-26, 5-6 MAC) took Akron for nine total hits, led by Alyssa Smith's 2-for-4 performance. The center fielder also scored two of the Rockets' runs.
Sara Pearson was credited with the win in the circle for Akron, moving her record to 3-1 on the year. She threw three innings in relief of starter Erin Seiler and gave up one hit and one walk over the 11 batters she faced.
Both teams were quiet in the early going until UT got on the board first in the top of the fourth inning. Shortstop Chandler Rice came up with a two-out RBI double to put Toledo ahead 1-0. Reiman quickly retaliated in the bottom half of the inning however, blasting a leadoff home run to left field.
The Zips took their first lead of the day in the bottom of the fifth after Taryn Allmon started off with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Alyssa Nicholas. Shawna Mailloux smacked the first pitch she saw with two outs to bring Allmon home and give UA the 2-1 advantage.
As it has over the past several games, the sixth inning brought trouble for the Zips. Toledo strung together three straight hits – two of them RBI doubles – to take a 3-2 lead. Pearson came in to pitch with runners on the corners and no outs, striking out the first batter she saw on four pitches.
Pearson was able to get out of the jam unscathed on a gutsy double play, diving to her left to catch a short pop fly and springing to her feet to throw to Nicholas at third and double up the Toledo baserunner.
The Zips tied the score again in the bottom of the sixth inning, courtesy of another clutch hit by Roudabush – a single up the middle that was enough to bring home Reiman from second.
Heading into the eighth, Toledo looked as if it might take back the lead with a pair of runners in scoring position and one out, but Pearson worked quickly to force back-to-back infield groundouts and stop the Rockets in their tracks.
Jessica Schneider roped a one-out single to left field in the bottom of the eighth inning, and Mackenzie Conrad entered to pinch run, giving Roudabush the chance to work her magic. The junior's hit was just off the top of the outfield wall in center, long enough for Conrad to score from first and seal the victory for the Zips.
Akron and Toledo will wrap up the MAC cross-divisional series on Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m. at Lee Jackson.
