Akron Softball Drops Twinbill Against Mercer and Radford

Friday, February 23

Macon, GA

5 PM

University of Akron

1-9

Mercer University

10-2

Akron

Mercer

Photo by: Todd Drexler

Akron Softball Drops Twinbill Against Mercer and Radford

February 23 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

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Game One: Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
Game Two: Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

MACON, Ga. – On day one of the Black and Orange Challenge hosted by Mercer University, the Akron softball team dropped a pair of contests to Mercer (5-1) and Radford (8-0) on Friday night in Macon, Ga.

Akron now stands at 1-10 on the season, while Mercer improved to 10-2 and Radford sits at 8-3.

The Zips led Mercer, 1-0, after 5 ½ innings of play, but a five-run sixth inning propelled the Bears to a 5-1 win over the Zips

Redshirt freshman Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.) stepped to the plate to lead off the top of the fourth inning after the Bears went down in the bottom half of the third. Jascoe dug into the box for her second at-bat and crushed a home run to left field, the first her career, and put the Zips out in front 1-0.

Mercer found its bats in the bottom half of the sixth inning and put a five spot on the board to take a 5-1 lead heading into the final inning of play. A two-run home run and a two-out- two-run triple highlighted the Bears big inning and the win.

Senior Kooper Vertz (Dilsboro, Ind.) made her third start of the season for the Zips inside the circle against the Bears. Through 5 ½ innings, Vertz gave up just three hits and struck out a season-high four batters, which tied a career-high. However, the senior righty gave up five runs on four hits in the sixth inning en route to taking the loss.

Akron totaled four hits in the game by Jascoe, senior Cassie Gillespie (Sylvania, Ohio), senior Caitlin Gambone (Canton, Ohio), and junior Sabria Bruton (Palmetto, Fla.).

Game two of the Zips twinbill belonged to the Highlanders defeating Akron, 8-0, in the nightcap.

Radford scored three runs in the top of the first inning and proceeded to add five insurance runs in the final three innings of play before ending in the sixth inning due to the NCAA run rule.

Gambone, the Zips third baseman, picked up her second hit of the evening while junior Laura Lakins (Akron, Ohio) recorded Akron's second hit of the game.

Freshman Mikayla Newland (Chillicothe, Ohio) made her sixth start of the season but was knocked out the game after 0.1 of an inning. Freshman Kayla Kmett (San Clemente, Calif.) came into the game out of the bullpen and pitched 5.2 innings, gave up five runs on six hits and struck out four.

Akron returns to action, tomorrow morning at 11:45 a.m. for day two of the Mercer Black and Orange Challenge against Drexel.