The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ball State
Softball earns doubleheader split with MAC West leader Ball State
April 18 | Softball
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Game One Final Stats | Game One Final Stats (PDF)
Game Two Final Stats | Game Two Final Stats (PDF) | Season Stats
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Jessica Schneider and Erin Pond combined for six hits - three of them doubles - to help Akron split a doubleheader with Mid-American Conference West Division leader Ball State on Friday afternoon.
The Zips (20-11, 6-4 MAC), playing on the road for the first time in the month of April, used a three-run second inning to carry them to a 4-2 victory in game one. Ball State's bats were too much for UA in the second game however, as the Cardinals (25-16, 5-3 MAC) cruised to a 15-2 decision in game two.
Akron will travel to Miami (Ohio) to close out the weekend, taking on the RedHawks in a pair of single games on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Game One: Akron 4, Ball State 2
Pond was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and Rachael Ratcliffe registered a pair of RBI's as the Zips posted 10 hits to methodically take down the Cardinals in the opener, 4-2.
Akron scored three runs in the second inning to capture an early lead it would never relinquish, riding the strong pitching performance of Erin Seiler. The sophomore improved her record to 13-4 in the circle without allowing an earned run in seven innings, tallying her 15th complete game of the season.
Kellie Roudabush, Pond and Taryn Allmon strung together three straight hits to load the bases in the top of the second for McKenzi Rhodes. Akron's catcher lifted an 0-1 pitch to center field, deep enough to score Roudabush on the sacrifice and keep the bases juiced for Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe, getting the start in right field for the Zips, connected for a single and advanced to second base on the throw in from the outfield, plating Pond and Allmon to put Akron ahead 3-0.
Ball State made it a one-run game in the bottom of the fifth, scoring on an RBI single and a sacrifice fly after taking advantage of an Akron fielding error. The Zips created a little distance in the bottom half of the inning when Pond drove in Savannah Fruin on a double to left field.
Seiler worked out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the sixth inning, and was able to force the last two batters she faced in the seventh to fly out to preserve the win.
Game Two: Ball State 15, Akron 2 (5)
The Zips fell behind early and were unable to catch up to the Cardinals, falling in a shortened second game by a 15-2 margin.
UA took a 1-0 lead in its first at-bat courtesy of a Schneider RBI double, but Ball State exploded for seven runs in the first inning to create a hole that was too deep for the Zips to climb out of. Five of Akron's six hits were doubles, but it was not enough to offset the BSU's offensive output.
Sara Pearson (3-2) started in the circle for Akron, giving up seven runs on five hits before Mackenzie Conrad entered the game in relief.
The Cardinals' bats never really cooled off after the opening frame, as five of Ball State's 15 hits were for extra bases. The Zips added another run in the top of the fourth when BSU's pitcher was charged with an illegal pitch.
