Akron Softball Back On The Field At Alabama State Black & Gold Tournament

Friday, February 16

Montgomery, Ala.

12 PM

University of Akron

Appalachian State University

Akron Softball Back On The Field At Alabama State Black & Gold Tournament

February 15 | Softball

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Alabama State Black & Gold Tournament Game Notes

Black and Gold Tournament
Feb. 16-18
Montgomery, Ala. | Barbara Williams Softball Complex

Feb. 16 vs. Appalachian State | Noon
Feb. 16 at Alabama State | 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 17 vs. Middle Tennessee | Noon
Feb. 17 vs. Nichols State | 5 p.m.
Feb. 18 vs Fort Wayne | 9:30 a.m.

Game Information
Live Stats: GoZips.com

What's Ahead
For the third straight season, the Akron softball team will travel to Montgomery, Ala. this weekend, Feb. 16-18, to take part in the annual Black and Gold Tournament hosted by Alabama State. The Zips will look to bounce back after a tough opening weekend and is slated to square off with Appalachian State (Feb. 16), host Alabama State (Feb. 16), Middle Tennessee (Feb. 17), Nicholls State (Feb. 17), and Fort Wayne (Feb. 18), at the Barbara Williams Softball Complex.

Scouting The Mountaineers
Appalachian State opened the 2018 season at the Mercer Invitational and finished with a 1-3 record. The Mountaineers lost to Mercer (0-8), Central Michigan (6-12) and Buffalo (2-5), before earning their first win against Morehead State (15-8). Alisha Josey led App State going 6-for-13 from the plate recording a double, a home run and three RBI. In the circle, Katie Williford picked up the victory for the Mountaineers throwing 5.0 innings, gave eight hits and six runs while striking out four. As a staff, the Mountaineers own a 5.73 ERA, gave up 41 hits, 33 runs, and struck out 16.

Scouting The Hornets
Alabama State traveled to the Troy Tournament to begin the 2018 season and in three games garnered a 1-2 record. The Hornets fell to SIU Edwardsville (5-14) and host Troy (0-7), and defeated Tennessee State, 5-4, for their first win of the season. In three contests, ASU's Charlene Castro leads the way offensively hitting .625 (5-for-8) with two doubles and an RBI. On the rubber, Vanessa Bradford (1-1)earned the win for the Hornets and tallied a 1.91 ERA, gave up seven hits, and surrendered five runs.

Scouting The Blue Raiders
Middle Tennessee traveled to Los Angeles, Calif., to take part in the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament and went home with a 2-4 weekend in six games. The Blue Raiders saw wins over Utah State (3-2) and UC Riverside (2-1), while dropping contests against Cal Poly (1-6), No. 4 UCLA (0-11), Rutgers (0-7), and Maryland (1-2). For MTU, Summer Burgess posted 10 hits in 21 at-bats (.477) with a pair of doubles, an RBI, and 12 total bases. Amber Baldwin earned the Blue Raiders two wins inside the circle pitching 14.0 innings, gave up 14 hits, nine runs, and owns a 2.00 ERA.

Scouting The Colonels
Nicholls State will look to start the 2018 season at the Black and Gold Tournament after their first weekend at the Lion Classic was canceled due to weather. Prior to the start of the season, Kasey Frederick, Megan Landry, Samantha Mracich, Amanda Gianelloni, and Veronica Villafranco earned preseason All-Southland Conference honors.

Scouting The Mastodons
At the Total Control Sports Invitational, Fort Wayne posted a 2-3 record in the opening weekend of the 2018 season. The Mastadons earned victories over IUPUI (3-2) and Wright State (2-0), while falling to IUPUI (5-6), Eastern Kentucky (5-6), and Loyola Chicago (2-3). Morganne Denny is the Mastadons top hitter through three games tallying six hits in 16 at-bats, including a double, a triple, a home run and an RBI. In the circle, Bailey Benefiel and Shaina Eyre each earned a win on the weekend with Benefiel tallying a 1.40 ERA on seven hits and two runs.

Series History
The Zips will meet both Appalachian State and Middle Tennessee for the first time in program history this weekend.

Akron has seen success on the field against the tournament host Alabama State since their first meeting in 2008 holding a perfect 6-0 record against the Hornets. Last year, the Zips dropped ASU, 11-3, in the 2017 Black and Gold Tournament.

The Zips and Mastadon's squared off in 2017 for the first time in program history and split a pair of contests for an even 1-1 all-time series, while Akron and Nicholls State are scheduled to face off for the eighth time in program history with the Colonels holding a 4-3 edge in the all-time series.

Making an Entrance
In freshman Kayla Wulf's first at-bat in an Akron uniform and her collegiate career, the Zips catcher smacked her first career home run out to left field against Kansas. Wulf's home run in her first at-bat is believed to be the first time any freshman has accomplished such feat.

Career Record Watch
Heading into the season, Caitlin Gambone is 41 game appearances, 142 at-bats, 53 assists, and four sacrifice hits away from joining the career all-time top-ten lists.

One Last Ride
Senior's Caitlin Gambone and Cassie Gillespie will begin their senior season in 2018 which will start their last season's in an Akron uniform. Combined in their three seasons, Gambone and Gillespie have appeared in 300 games and made 286 starts. The six other returning letterwinnwers have made a combined 203 appearances and made 130 starts.

Welcome To Akron
In the opening weekend of the 2018 season, all seven newcomers made their Akron debuts at the Stetson Lead-Off Classic.

Up Next
The Zips early reason road trips continue next weekend when Akron heads to Macon, Ga. to compete at that Mercer Tournament on Feb. 23-24. The Zips are scheduled for five contests, including a game against Mercer (Feb. 23), Radford (Feb. 23), Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 24), and two match-ups with Drexel (Feb. 24-25).