The University of Akron Athletics
Baseball Claims 21-2 Win over the Ontario Nationals in Exhibition Action
September 26 | Baseball
Boxscore in PDF
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron baseball team posted 22 hits as it cruised to a 21-2 victory over the Ontario Nationals in an 11-inning exhibition game on Friday at Lee R. Jackson Field.
The Zips got off to a scoring start, posting four runs in the first inning with the help of three back-to-back hits, including RBI singles from Matt Rembielak and Kris Simonton and an RBI triple off the bat of Joey Havrilak.
Following three scoreless innings for both teams, Akron plated at least one run in each of the final seven innings.
The Nationals spoiled the shutout bid, posting a run in the seventh after taking advantage of a Zips miscue and plating another run in the ninth on a ground-out RBI.
Junior infielder Matt LaRocca clubbed the game's only homer, a solo bomb, in the seventh inning to extend the UA lead to 9-1.
A five-run ninth inning highlighted the Zips' offensive effort after an Ontario error, a James Meeker RBI single and a two-run double from Simonton helped Akron push five runs across for an 18-2 lead at the end of the frame.
Simonton led the explosive Zips offense, falling a home run shy of the cycle after issuing a 5-for-6 performance at the plate and driving in six runs.
Six different UA batters each walked away with a pair of hits while seven different pitchers each posted a single no-hit inning. The pitching staff as a whole held the Nationals to six hits on the afternoon while striking out eleven batters.
The Zips will be back in action during the Blue/Gold World Series, scheduled to start on Friday, Oct. 17. The event will include five games over six days and will conclude the fall game schedule.
