The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Eastern Ky.
Zips Win in Walk-Off Fashion in Game Two of ASU Tournament
February 26 | Softball
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Akron softball wins game two of the their double-header in walk-off fashion but found themselves in a rut late in game one at the first day of the Alabama State Hornets Tournament on Friday afternoon.
The Zips went 1-1 on the day and stand at 3-9 overall, beating Nebraska-Omaha, 5-4, but fell to Eastern Kentucky, 6-3, in the afternoon's first contest.
"The second game was a good bounce back from this morning. I know that the players weren't happy with their play in game one but we got a big win the second time around," said head coach Julie Jones. "Kelly (Hysong) did a great job, almost went all the way through, but Erin (Seiler) can come in and can close it out too. If we can hit the ball as hard as we did today, we are going to be in business."
After letting a three-run lead slip away in the top of the seventh inning, the Zips and Mavericks went into the bottom of the seventh inning tied at four. Junior Savannah Fruin (Delray Beach, Fla.) sent a shot high off the right field fence and the speedster raced into third with a triple. Nebraska-Omaha chose to walk the bases loaded to bring the double play back into play. Junior Carley Childress (Belknap, Ill.) stared down the pitcher who struggled to find the strike zone after pitching eight straight balls and walked in the winning run to give the Zips a 5-4 win.
The Mavericks opened the contest with a lead-off home run by Nicole Warren to take an early 1-0 lead.
Akron put three-runs on the board in the fourth inning when sophomore Caitlin Gambone (Canton, Ohio) hit a two-run single up the middle of the infield. Junior Alyssa Nicholas (Cortland, Ohio) and freshman Kelly Hysong (Canton, Ohio) scored from third and second on the play. Gambone would later score in the inning when sophomore Taylor Kirian (New Riegel, Ohio) reached on an error by the second basemen.
The Zips added an insurance run in the fifth inning. Hysong took matters into her own hands, shutting down the Mavericks in the circle and helped her own cause by hitting an RBI single through the left side of the infield. Fruin scored from second after she doubled to lead off the inning.
Trailing by three runs with an inning to play, Nebraska-Omaha fought back in the top of the seventh inning scoring three runs to tie up the game at four, setting up the Zips walk-off in the bottom of the inning.
Hysong took over in the circle in the first inning and finsihed with her best outing of the year. The freshman pitched 6.1 innings, gave up just three hits to a high-powered Maverick offense while striking out five and walked three.
Eastern Kentucky scored six runs in the initial contest en route to the victory. Five of the runs that came across the plate were unearned runs due to five errors made by the defense.
Akron scored the first two runs of the game in the top of the second inning courtesy of a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch. Fruin was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Childress followed with a walk. Sophomore Taylor Kirian (New Riegel, Ohio) moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt that allowed freshman Gabrielle Fredericks (New Philadelphia, Ohio) to bring home the runner from third on a SAC fly to center field. Childress scored during the next at-bat on a wild pitch.
The Colonels countered the Zips two-run inning with a three-run inning of their own.
The Zips got a run back in the fourth inning to knot up the game at three apiece. Nicholas ripped a double into the gap in right centerfield. Akron used small ball to move the catcher over to third base with a sacrifice bunt by Fruin. Childress then stepped to the plate, and smashed a line drive single back up the middle, scoring Nicholas from third.
Eastern Kentucky added three more runs in the fifth an sixth inning to take a 6-3 lead and held the Zips to just one hit in the final three innings.
Senior Erin Seiler (Bowling Green, Ohio) pitched her fifth complete game of the year against the Colonels. The righty (3-5) went six innings, allowed 6 runs, only one was earned, and struck out nine batters faced. She returned to the cirlce in the second contest and pitched 0.2 innings and added another strike out.
Akron softball continues day two of the ASU Hornet Tournament tomorrow, Feb. 27, when they face off against Gardner-Webb at 11 a.m. CT and host Alabama State at 3 p.m. CT.
