Akron Set Down In Twinbill Despite Heavy Offensive Production

Saturday, March 10

Richmond, Ky.

11 AM

University of Akron

1-13-1

Saint Louis University

9-8

Saint Louis

Akron

Photo by: Todd Drexler

Akron Set Down In Twinbill Despite Heavy Offensive Production

March 10 | 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)

RICHMOND, Ky. – Despite a high scoring offensive day for the Akron softball team in which the Zips managed to score a combined 11 runs on day one of the Eastern Kentucky Invitational, Akron could not hold off the offensive production of its opponents falling 9-7 to Saint Louis and 13-4 to host EKU on Saturday at Gertrude Hood Field.

Akron now stands 1-14-1 on the season while Saint Louis improved to 9-8 while Eastern Kentucky owns a 15-5 record.

On the afternoon, the Zips recorded 17 hits combined between both games. Individually, redshirt freshman Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.) went 4-for-7 with an RBI and a home run, while senior Caitlin Gambone went 3-for-5 with an RBI and sophomore Jessie Holzman (Medina, Ohio) hit 3-for-6 with a team-high three runs batted in.

The Zips and Billikens began the afternoon of competition at 11 a.m. and scored a combined 16 runs in the ballgame.

Akron did its damage in the first, fourth, and sixth innings, while Saint Louis scored in the first, third, fourth, and seventh.

After the Billikens scored three runs in the top of the first inning, the Zips cut the lead back down to two runs. On a 1-1 pitch, Jascoe smacked a lead-off home run in Akron's first at-bat. The dinger was Jascoe's second of the season.

Saint Louis extended its lead to plus-seven against Akron after scoring one run in the third and four in the top of the fourth inning.

Akron would once again counter in the bottom half of the fourth inning with a three-spot on the board to trim the SLU lead to 8-4. An error by the Billikens third baseman allowed sophomore Madison Carter (Macon, Ga.) to score from third base after she entered the game as a pinch-runner. In the next at-bat, Holzman cleared the bases with a two-out double to left-center field scoring senior Caitlin Gambone (Canton, Ohio) and redshirt junior Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nevada).

An exciting three-run sixth inning by Akron brought the Zips within striking distance of the Billikens, 8-7, heading into the final inning of play. Junior Maddy Clowdus (Eastvale, Calif.) and Gambone ripped back-to-back homeruns to left-center field to lead off the bottom half of the sixth inning. With two outs, Holzman joined in on the party and lifted her first career homerun to right-center field on a 2-2 pitch.

Holding on to a one-run lead, Saint Louis earned an insurance run in the top half of the seventh to take a 9-7 lead into the final inning of regulation.

Despite the offensive outpour, Akron was set down 1-2-3 in the seventh inning to earn Saint Louis the victory.

In the circle for the Zips, freshman Mikayla Newland (Chillicothe, Ohio) made the start and pitched 3.0 innings, giving up eight runs on 10 hits. Freshman Kayla Kmett (San Clemente, Calif.) pitched four relief innings out of the bullpen surrendering just one run and three hits.

Akron's second game of the afternoon went in favor of the Invitational host, Eastern Kentucky, 13-4. The Colonels scored seven runs in their first three at-bats of the contest and six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to end the contest after six innings due to the NCAA run rule.

The Zips scored the first run of the ballgame in the top of the first inning when junior Laura Lakins (Akron, Ohio) drove in her fifth RBI of the season with a single through the left side of the infield, which scored Jascoe from third base.

Senior Cassie Gillespie (Sylvania, Ohio) tallied her second and third RBI of the season in the top half of the third when she drove in Carter and Clowdus with a single up the middle of the infield.

Akron managed to get one more run across the plate in the contest in the fourth inning. Rodriguez launched a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left-center field and touched them all for her first career home run as a Zip.

However, the Colonels six-run fifth inning would end the game early as EKU lead by over eight runs in the bottom half of the fifth.

In the contest, all three Akron pitchers made an appearance on the rubber and combined gave up 13 runs on 12 hits and struck out three.

The Zips return to the field tomorrow for day two of the EKU Invitational on March 11. Akron is slated two contests against Saint Louis (10 a.m.) and Western Carolina (12 p.m.).

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MAC Tournament: Akron Falls to Ball State in Opening Game

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Next Event

Saint Louis University

L, 2-12

Mar 11 (Sun)

9 AM

Box Score Recap Box Score (PDF)Preview Live stats

Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: CHAPPELLE, Kaylea (3-3)

L: Newland, Mikayla (1-6)

S: BAALMAN, Maddie (1)

Saint Louis

Batting:

2B: MACFARLANE, Allie 1 ; TARQUINIO, Alyssa 1 ; LAWSON, Mackenzie 1

HR: BREITBACH, Kaylyn 1

RBI: WISE, Sadie 1 ; TARQUINIO, Alyssa 2 ; CHAVEZ, Alyssa 1 ; BREITBACH, Kaylyn 2

SH: CONNELL, Maria 1

Base Running:

RUNS: LOMAX, Lauren 2 ; WISE, Sadie 1 ; MACFARLANE, Allie 1 ; TARQUINIO, Alyssa 1 ; CHAVEZ, Alyssa 1 ; BREITBACH, Kaylyn 1 ; CONNELL, Maria 1 ; LANE, Kat 1