Zips Travel To Skyhawk Classic For Final Tournament Of Season

Saturday, March 17

Martin, Tenn.

10 AM

University of Akron

Northern Kentucky University

Zips Travel To Skyhawk Classic For Final Tournament Of Season

March 16 | Softball

Follow Akron Softball on Facebook and Twitter
Follow Coach Jones on Twitter

Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic Game Notes

Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic
March 17-18
Martin, Tenn. | Bettye Giles Softball Field

March 17 vs. Northern Kentucky | 10 a.m.
March 17 vs. UT Martin | 12:30 p.m.
March 18 vs. Northern Kentucky | 10 a.m.
March 18 vs. UT Martin | 12:30 p.m.

Game Information
Live Stats: GoZips.com

What's Ahead
One final tournament stands in front of Akron softball this weekend, March 17-18, before Mid-American Conference play begins in one week. The Zips travel to Martin, Tenn., to compete in the UT Martin Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic. Akron will square off with host UT Martin in a pair of contests and two tilts with Northern Kentucky starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 17.

Scouting the Skyhawks
The host of the upcoming tournament, UT Martin, enters the weekend of competition with an 11-13 record prior to its four games this weekend. The Skyhawks have won four of their last six contests while competing at the Stetson Tournament. UT Martin has three members of its starting nine hitting over .300 on the season including, Jodie Duncan, Alli Fulcher, and Aeron Smith. Duncan has posted a team-high .342 batting average in 76 at-bats courtesy of 26 hits and five doubles which led to 12 RBI. Fulcher leads the Skyhawks in extra-base hits knocking out six doubles, one triple, and a team-best three home runs. Smith, who owns a .322 batting average, paces UT Martin in runs batted in with 13. In the circle, Caitlin Karo and Hannah Ridolfi have combined to pick up the Skyhawks 11 wins for the pitching staff. Karo owns a 6-3 record on the rubber and has tallied a team-best 1.72 ERA and has pitched eight complete games with a pair of shutouts. Ridolfi has garnered a team-best 28 strikeouts but has also allowed a team-high 26 walks in 78.1 innings of work.

Scouting the Norse
Northern Kentucky, a member of the Horizon League, owns a .625 winning percentage after 16 contests (10-6) heading into the final tournament of the season before league play begins. The Norse success has come in waves stringing together a pair of win streaks. NKU won five straight from Feb. 17-Mar. 3 and then four in a row from Mar. 7-Mar. 10. Madi Mulder leads the Norse offense nearly averaging .400 from the plate (.397). Mulder has recorded 23 hits and four doubles in 58 at-bats while driving in 15 RBI. Sydney Ferrante has posted a team-best 17 RBI, team-high two home runs, and a .392 batting average. Three hurlers have combined to pick up the Norse's 10 W's this season. Taylor Ginther has picked up a staff-high five wins in 12 starts and four appearances. Ginther has pitched 44.2 innings, two complete games, and one shutout. Ashlynn Roberts (3-2) has tossed 34.1 innings of work and leads the team in strikeouts, 24, and a team-low 3.47 earned run average.

Series History
Akron met both UT Martin and Northern Kentucky the first time in program history in the 1986 season.

Since the first meeting with tournament host, Akron and UT Martin will meet on the diamond for the sixth time in competition. In the five previous contests between the two program's, the Zips hold a 3-2 advantage against the Skyhawks. Akron and UT Martin last met in 2017 for a pair of tilts at the Alabama State tournament with the Zips winning 13-2 and 3-2 over the Skyhawks.

Akron and Northern Kentucky will square off for the first time since the two programs met in 1986. The Zips topped the Norse in their first ever meeting, 5-0, at the Franklin Tournament.

2018 Zip Breakdown
Under the guidance of 12th-year head coach, Julie Jones, the Zips enter the 42nd season of competition in 2018 after ending the 2017 season in the Mid-American Conference tournament for the fourth straight year and a 27-30 overall record. In 2018, Akron returns eight letterwinners from a season ago and welcomes seven newcomers to the squad, including four transfers and three freshmen.

Through 18 games, redshirt freshman Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.), redshirt junior Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nevada), junior Maddy Clowdus (Eastvale, Calif.), and Caitlin Gambone (Canton, Ohio) pace the Akron offense posting a combined .283 average (45-of-159) and 15 RBI. Jascoe is the Zips top offensive player posting a .313 average in 18 starts while also posting a team-high 15 hits and six RBI. Rodriguez owns a team second-best, .282 average with four extra-base hits (two doubles, one triple, one home run). Along with her .280 batting average, Clowdus has garnered a team-high .640 slugging percentage and three home runs. In 18 starts at third base, Gambone is hitting .255 with 12 hits in 47 at-bats.

Inside the circle, freshmen Mikayla Newland (Chillicothe, Ohio), Kayla Kmett (San Clemente, Calif.), and senior Kooper Vertz (Dilsboro, Ind.) have tossed a combined 107.0 innings, own a 6.15 earned run average and have recorded 52 strikeouts. Newland stands 1-7 on the rubber for the Zips in nine starts, has posted a 5.47 ERA, struck out 27 batters, and has pitched five complete games, including a 1-0 complete game shutout victory. Kmett (0-4) and Vertz (0-5) have pitched a combined 58.1 innings, given up 72 runs on 91 hits.

Jones named Gillespie and Lakins team captains for the 2018 season.

Saturday's Are For Softball
Junior Maddy Clowdus has taken a liking to the seventh day of the week and has posted a slugging percentage of .917, hit two home runs, garnered three RBI, 11 total bases, and three runs scored when playing on Saturday. Close behind Clowdus making an impact on Saturday's is sophomore centerfielder, Jessie Holzman. In eight starts, Holzman has gone 6-for-15 (.400) including one double, her first career home run, and three RBI.

Sunday Funday
In Akron's five games that have taken place on a Sunday, redshirt junior Kimberly Rodriguez has thrived and posted a .417 batting average (5-for-12), with a double, one triple, one RBI, eight total bases and three runs scored, along with a .667 slugging percentage to lead the Akron offense. When on the base path, Rodriguez is 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts. Redshirt freshman Sydney Jasoce has also seen success on Sunday hitting .333 and tallying a team-high three RBI in six starts.

In the circle, freshman Mikayla Newland has tossed her most efficient innings (24.1) on Sunday's. Newland owns a 1.73 ERA, pitched three complete games, one shutout, and posted 15 strikeouts.

Zips Tidbits

Kimberly Rodriguez currently on a five-game hit streak while Caitlin Gambone owns a team-best six-game hit streak this season.
Rodriguez has also reached base in six straight contests.
Sydney Jascoe leads the Zips with four multi-hit performances.
Jessie Holzman tallied a season-high three RBI in a contest and Cassie Gillespie is the only other Zip with a multi-run batted in contest (2 RBI).
Sydney Jascoe is hitting .324 with the bases empty, .333 with runners on the base path, and .333 with runners in scoring position.
With two outs, Caitlin Gambone is hitting .438 (7-for-16).
Kooper Vertz and Kayla Kmett are fly ball pitchers forcing 10.07 and 9.68 fly ball outs per contests, while Mikayla Newland utilizes the ground ball out recording 9.35 per ballgame.

Up Next
Mid-American Conference play is upon us and set to begin next weekend as Akron host Toledo in the 2018 conference and home opener at Lee R. Jackson Field on the campus of The University of Akron. The Zips and Rockets are slated for a three game series on March 23-24 starting on Friday (March 23) at 3 p.m. and a doubleheader on Saturday (March 24) beginning at 1 p.m.