The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
St. Francis (Pa.)
Softball splits doubleheader at St. Francis (Pa.)
April 23 | Softball
Follow Akron Softball on Twitter and Facebook
Game One Final Stats | Game One Final Stats (PDF)
Game Two Final Stats | Game Two Final Stats (PDF) | Season Stats
LORETTO, Pa. -- The heart of Akron's lineup brought some big sticks on the road Wednesday afternoon, as Kellie Roudabush, Jessica Reiman and Jessica Schneider combined for 13 hits to help the Zips to a doubleheader split against St. Francis (Pa.).
Akron (22-13) cruised to a 5-1 victory in the first game before coming up short in the nightcap, falling to the Red Flash (22-18), 6-5, in eight innings.
The Zips will return to Mid-American Conference play this weekend when they host travel partner and East Division leader Ohio in a pair of single games on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at Lee R. Jackson Field.
Game One: Akron 5, St. Francis (Pa.) 1
Reiman went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored to push Akron past St. Francis in game one. The sophomore delivered a solo home run in the top of the third inning - her second of the season - to highlight her offensive performance.
Roudabush and Schneider chipped in two hits apiece, adding to UA's 11 total hits as a team.
Starting pitcher Erin Seiler was one strikeout short of tying her career high, fanning 10 batters and allowing just three hits en route to the complete game victory. St. Francis' only run came in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo shot from the Red Flash catcher, but Seiler retired the next five straight batters she faced to close the game.
Akron got on the board first in the top of the second inning when Taryn Allmon worked a full count and went opposite field for an RBI double to left center, driving home Roudabush from second.
Reiman ripped her longball in the top of the third, then came up big again in the fifth when she laid down a bunt single that was enough to plate the speedy Shawna Mailloux and give the Zips a 3-0 advantage.
UA would tack on two more runs in the inning, scoring on a wild pitch and an RBI single off the bat of Erin Pond.
Game Two: St. Francis (Pa.) 6, Akron 5 (8)
Both teams recorded 12 hits and Akron put up another three-run fifth inning, but St. Francis snuck by the Zips in the bottom of the eighth to steal the second game, 6-5.
Seiler (15-6) was tagged with the decision, putting up 3.1 innings of work and allowing a pair of earned runs on four hits. Sara Pearson started in the circle for the Zips, striking out four of the eight batters she faced.
Trailing 2-1 heading into the top of the fifth inning, Chelsea Wildey led off with a double down the left field line and Reiman stepped in to drive her home on a single to right to tie the game at two.
After Reiman snagged second base, Schneider belted a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left center field for her third home run of the year, putting UA on top, 4-2.
St. Francis pushed two across in the bottom of the sixth to give Akron its last chance to tie or take the lead in the top of the seventh inning. Reiman drew a lead off walk, and Schneider reached on a throwing error by the Red Flash third baseman to set the table for Roudabush.
The Zips' second baseman singled through the left side on a full count, scoring Reiman to tie the game at five. Pond dug in and reached safely on a fielder's choice, loading the bases with no outs, but UA was unable to capitalize.
Seiler held the Red Flash in the bottom half of the inning to force an extra frame, where the international tiebreaker was used and a runner was placed on second base to start the inning. Akron did not generate any offense in the top of the eighth, but a two-out double from the St. Francis' first baseman was enough to end the game.
