The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Savannah St.
Zips Softball Splits Day Two of Furman/Upstate Tournament
February 20 | Softball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Akron Softball knocks out 10 hits and scored five runs in a extra inning, 5-4, victory over Savannah St. but was shut down offensively by Upstate in a 7-1 loss at day two of the Upstate Tournament in Spartansburg, S.C., Saturday afternoon.
"It was a tail a two teams and unfortunately the bad team keeps showing up on occasion. Hopefully we can learn from the mistakes that we are making and can make adjustments. The defense makes all the difference. The first game was great to pull it out, we made a couple of really good plays to make a difference but the truth of it is that we've got to make sure that we are knowing where we are supposed to be and doing the little things to win games," said head coach Julie Jones. "In game two, we faced a good pitcher and she shut us down. We could have made some adjustments a little bit better but we knew it was going to be tough to hit off her. If we could have played a little better defense and hit our spots from the mound it would have been a lot closer."
With the score tied at four all against Savannah St. (2-6), the game went into extra innings. In the top of the ninth inning junior Anna Tarpley (Jacksonville, Fla.) sacrificed junior Carley Childress (Belknap, Ill.) over to third base. Sophomore Taylor Kirian (New Riegel, Ohio) locked in and blasted a line-drive single up the middle driving in the eventual game-winning run.
The Zips (2-7) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead over the Tigers in the top of the first inning. Junior Savannah Fruin (Delray Beach, Fla.) led off the game with an infield single and moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt. Junior Alyssa Nicholas (Cortland, Ohio) stepped into a pitch and ripped a liner down the third baseline deflecting off the third basemen and into right field. Fruin put her head down and scored from second. The run was Akron's first, first inning run of the year.
After tying the game up at one in the second inning, Savannah St. hit a solo shot to left centerfield to take their first lead of the game, 2-1.
Nicholas took the lead back for the Zips in the fifth inning with a three-run blast to left centerfield. Sophomore Kayla Schlosser (Eria, Pa.) singled and sophomore Caitlin Gambone (Canton, Ohio) was hit by a pitch before rounding the bases off the home run. The four-bagger in the fifth was the junior's first of the year and tenth of her career.
Savannah St. knotted up the game once again in the fifth inning. The Tigers were awarded home plate when the ball went out of play and later scored on a single to right field. The score would remain tied at four after seven innings forcing extra innings.
For the second consecutive game, senior Erin Seiler (Bowling Green, Ohio) picked up the "W" in the circle for the Zips. The righty pitched a complete game including the two extra innings. Seiler gave up nine hits, allowed four runs but struck out even Tigers batters.
The second game started with Upstate stringing together four-straight hits in the second inning, as they jumped out to an early, 3-0, lead.
The Zips cut the Spartans lead to 3-1 in the top of the third inning. Kirian led off the inning with a six-pitch walk. Sophomore Cassie Gillespie (Sylvania, Ohio) moved Kirian over on a sacrifice bunt and Fruin drove her in with an RBI single down the right field line.
The Spartans added four insurance runs to their lead in the third, fifth, and sixth inning en route to their 7-1 victory.
Sophomore Paige McMenemy (Westerville, Ohio) received the start for the Zips in game two. She threw just one inning and gave up three runs on four hits. Sophomore Nicole Best (Broadview Heights, Ohio) came in from the bullpen and threw 3.2 innings and surrendered two runs off seven hits. Freshman Kelly Hysong (Canton, Ohio) closed out the game for Akron going 1.1 innings. Upstate's starter pitched a two hit, one run, complete game.
Akron will wrap-up the Furman/Upstate tournament tomorrow, Feb. 21, against co-host Furman University. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
