Four Run Fourth Leads Ball State Past Akron

Friday, March 30

Akron, Ohio

3 PM

University of Akron

1-24-1, 0

Ball State University

21-10, 0

Ball State

Akron

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

March 30 | Softball

Box Score

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AKRON, Ohio – The Akron softball team held a 2-0 lead after three innings of play, but Ball State exploded for a four-run fourth inning and the Zips could not recover losing to the Cardinals, 5-2, on Friday afternoon at Lee Jackson Field in game one of a three-game series with Ball State.

The Akron offense garnered a season-high nine hits in the contest but left six runners on base and could not capitalize with runners in scoring position down the stretch. Redshirt freshman Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.) and senior Caitlin Gambone (Canton, Ohio) each tallied three hits in the contest to record two-thirds of the Zips hits. Jascoe went 3-for-4 with two singles and a double and scored two runs, while Gambone went a perfect 3-for-3 with a trio of singles.

Senior Kooper Vertz (Dilsboro, Ind.) made her seventh start of the year inside the circle for Akron. Vertz (0-8) exited the ballgame after 3.2 innings giving up four runs on just two hits while striking out a career-high six batters. After 3.1 innings, Vertz was on fire and had not given up a hit in the contest until a two-out double by Ball State's Madison Lee. Freshman Kayla Kmett (San Clemente, Calif.) entered the contest out of the bullpen in relief of Vertz. Kmett was able to limit the damage by Ball State and tossed an efficient 3.1 innings allowing just three hits and one run with a strikeout.

The Zips claimed an early 1-0 lead in their first at-bat. Jascoe led off the game with a single to left field on the first pitch of her at-bat. Senior Cassie Gillespie (Sylvania, Ohio) perfectly executed a sacrifice bunt to move Jascoe to second and then Jascoe smartly sprinted to third base on a passed ball. With two outs in the inning, redshirt junior Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nevada) laced a line drive to centerfield for an RBI single to give Akron the lead.

Two innings later, Akron extended its lead to 2-0 in the bottom half of the third inning. Jascoe once again led off the inning with a single to left field and Gillespie, like her first at-bat, moved her teammate over on a SAC bunt. Junior Maddy Clowdus (Eastvale, Calif.) recorded her first hit of the game with a single up the middle to put runners on the corners for the Zips. Entering the game as a pinch-runner, sophomore Madison Carter (Newnan, Ga.) took off for second and slide in safely for the stolen base. During the attempt to throw out Carter by the Cardinals, heads up base running by Jascoe allowed her to steal home from third on the throw and score.

In the top of the fourth inning, Vertz walked the leadoff hitter for Ball State and followed with a hit batsman in the next at-bat. After the runners advanced to second and third courtesy of a sacrifice bunt and Vertz struck out her sixth batter of the game, Lee finally got a hold of one for the Cardinals tying the game up at two off a double to right center. In the next at-bat, Annie Robinson put Ball State ahead with a two-run home run and the Cardinals would not relinquish the lead.

From that point on, Ball State's ace inside the circle, Aeshia Miles (12-4), quieted the Akron bats allowing just four hits in the final four innings and stranding three Zips base runners en route to a 5-2 win.

Akron and Ball State return to action Saturday afternoon, March 31, in doubleheader action. The Zips and Cardinals are scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch with game two to follow approximately 30 minutes after game one.