Akron Softball Back In Action At Eastern Kentucky Invitational

Saturday, March 10

Richmond, Ky.

11 AM

University of Akron

Saint Louis University

Akron Softball Back In Action At Eastern Kentucky Invitational

March 09 | Softball

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Eastern Kentucky Invitational Game Notes

Eastern Kentucky Invitational
March 10-11
Richmond, Ky. | Gertrude Hood Field

March 10 vs. Saint Louis | 10 a.m.
March 10 vs. Eastern Kentucky | 3:00 p.m.
March 11 vs. Saint Louis | 11:45 a.m.
March 11 vs. Western Carolina | 6:30 p.m.

Game Information
Live Stats: GoZips.com

What's Ahead
Akron returns to action on the diamond this weekend as the Zips head to Richmond, Ky., to take part in its fourth tournament of the season at the Eastern Kentucky Invitational on March 10-11 at Gertrude Hood Field. Akron will compete in four competitions in two days as the Zips square off with St. Louis (March 10/11), host Eastern Kentucky (March 10), and Western Carolina (March 11).

Scouting The Billikens
Heading into the weekend, St. Louis owns a 6-8 record through 14 games this season and are winners of their last two contests against Chattanooga (5-3) and UT Martin (5-3). From the plate, Alyssa Chavez leads the Billikens offense hitting .421 going 16-of-38 including three doubles and two home runs. While hitting .319, Allie MacFarlane has recorded a team-high 10 RBI thanks to five doubles, a triple, and a home run. From inside the circle, Maddie Balman owns a team-best four wins for St. Louis in 45.2 innings of work. Balman has garnered a 3.22 ERA while surrendering 26 runs on 37 hits.

Scouting The Colonels
Eastern Kentucky enters the weekend with an 11-5 record after winning its last five games sweeping the competition at the Winthrop Invitational defeating Sacred Heart (4-2), Norfolk State (13-3), Albany (4-0), and Youngstown State (7-6). In 50 at-bats, Paige Murphy has recorded 23 hits, 11 extra base hits (six doubles, one triple, four homeruns), a team-best 15 RBI, and scored 15 runs to lead the Eastern Kentucky offense. Tori Peterson and Mollie Paulick have each picked up four wins on the season inside the circle for the Colonels. Peterson has pitched 29.1 innings while posting a 2.83 earned run average, given up 33 hits, 19 runs, struck out 11 and walked 11. Her teammate, Paulick owns a team-best 1.78 ERA in eight starts, posted three shutouts, and struck out a team-high 37 K's.

Scouting The Catamount
Western Carolina heads into the Eastern Kentucky Invitational owning a 4-11 record 15 games into the softball season. The Catamounts have faced tough competition early in the season going up against three ranked opponents, #11 Georgia, #12 Auburn, and #23 James Madison, along with Big Ten Opponent, Penn State, and an American Conference opponent, UCF. Madison Armstrong leads the offensive efforts for WCU as the Catamounts catcher is hitting .333 courtesy of 14 hits in 42 at-bats with two doubles and a homerun. Kinsey Liscio has picked up two wins on the rubber for Western Carolina in six games and five starts. Liscio has worked 25.1 innings, gave up 31 hits, 23 runs, and 13 strikeouts.

Series History
The Zips and Colonels will go head-to-head for the seventh time in the all-time series this weekend and Akron will look for its second win since the first meeting in 1996 as EKU holds a 5-1 record over the Zips.

Saint Louis and Akron will meet on the diamond for the third time in each program's respective history. The Zips and Billikens have each picked up a win in the all-time series history.

The Zips and Catamounts are set for their first meeting between the two programs at the EKU Invitational.

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 14 games, redshirt freshman Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.), seniors Cassie Gillespie (Sylvania, Ohio) and Caitlin Gambone (Canton, Ohio), and junior Laura Lakins (Akron, Ohio) pace the Akron offense posting a combined .310 average (32-of-103 and 10 RBI. Jascoe is the Zips top offensive player posting a .278 average in 14 starts while also posting a team-high .361 slugging percentage. In 11 starts and 13 appearances, Gillespie is 6-for-23, brought in one RBI, and is 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts. Lakins, who has started all nine contests at first base or the designated players, is hitting .200, while Gambone, the Akron third baseman, is hitting .243.

Inside the circle, freshmen Mikayla Newland (Chillicothe, Ohio), Kayla Kmett (San Clemente, Calif.), and senior Kooper Vertz (Dilsboro, Ind.) have tossed a combined 84.2 innings, own a 5.21 earned run average and have recorded 38 strikeouts. Newland stands 1-5 on the rubber for the Zips in seven starts, has posted a 5.01 ERA, struck out 19 batters, and has pitched four complete games, including a 1-0 complete game shutout victory. Kmett (0-4) and Vertz (0-3) have pitched a combined 48.1 innings, given up 50 runs on 70 hits.

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

Catch Them If You Can
Redshirt junior Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nevada) and senior Cassie Gillespie (Sylvania, Ohio) lead the MAC in stolen bases. Rodriguez owns a MAC-best seven steals on 10 attempts while Gillespie is a perfect 5-for-5 on the base path.

Up Next
Akron heads to its final tournament of the season before Mid-American Conference play begins as the Zips take part in the UT Martin Tournament in Martin, Tenn., on March 17-18. The Zips are scheduled to go head-to-head with UT Martin and Northern Kentucky.