The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
University at Buffalo
Akron Set For First Road Trip In MAC Play At Buffalo
April 02 | Softball
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Akron at Buffalo Game Notes: 4/3/18
Akron at Buffalo
April 3
Buffalo, N.Y. | Nan Harvey Field
April 3Â vs. Buffalo | 11 a.m.
April 3 vs. Buffalo | 1 p.m.
Game Information
Live Stats:Â GoZips.com
What's Ahead
Mid-week MACtion between the Akron Zips and Buffalo Bulls is slated for Tuesday, April 3, when Akron travels to Buffalo, N.Y. The Zips and Bulls are slated for a twinbill at Nan Harvey Field starting at 11 a.m. with game two to follow approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of game one. Game times have been moved up due to impending weather in the Buffalo area.Â
Scouting The Bulls
Through the first 28 games of the 2018 softball season for Buffalo, the Bulls have tallied an 11-17 record (.393) along with an even 3-3 record after the first two weekends of Mid-American Conference play. Prior to league play, Buffalo went 8-14 after competing in five early-season tournaments. In the MAC season opener, the Bulls swept Eastern Michigan to start off 3-0 but was then swept by Northern Illinois and currently stands at .500 heading into the contest with the Zips. In the MAC preseason poll, the Cardinals were predicted to finish sixth the East division.
The Buffalo offense has posted a .249 team batting average through 28 contests including 176 hits, 29 doubles, 10 triples (second most in the MAC), 13 home runs and 112 runs scored in 2018. Jessica Goldyn leads the way for the Bulls inside the batter's box hitting .373 (28-for-75), including two doubles and two triples. Her .373 average is seventh best in the MAC heading into Tuesday's match-up. Jenelle Martinez is the top run producers for the Buffalo offense with a team-high 19 RBI, four home runs, a .524 slugging percentage and a .341 batting average. Anna Aguon rounds out the trio of Bulls who average over. 300 with a .309 average (25-for-81) along with a team-best .531 slugging percentage. Aguon has tallied the second most RBI (17) and a team-high 10 extra-base hits.Â
Buffalo's one-two combo of Ally Power and Lace Smith inside the circle have a combined record of 11-15 as the workhorses for the Bulls. Power (8-9) owns a team-low 4.47 ERA in 19 games and 16 starts while tossing 10 complete games. In 92.1 innings of action, Power's has surrendered 105 hits, 66 runs (59 earned), struck out 75 and walked 31. The opposition is hitting just .286 when Power's toes the rubber. The Bulls number two pitcher, Smith, has logged 65.2 innings in 11 starts and 17 appearances and owns a 3-6 record. Smith has hurled four complete games, given up 99 hits, 62 runs (50 earned), 37 strikeouts, and 14 walks.Â
Series HistoryÂ
Since the first meeting between the two programs in 2000, Akron has seen nothing but success against Buffalo on the softball diamond. The Zips own an all-time series record of 33-7 against the Bulls and a 15-3 record at Nan Harvey Field in Buffalo, N.Y. The Zips are 11-2 in the last 13 encounters with Buffalo while also winning the last four games played in Buffalo.Â
2018 Zip BreakdownÂ
Under the guidance of 12th-year head coach, Julie Jones, the Zips are amidst 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 seven letterwinners from a season ago and welcomes seven newcomers to the squad, including four transfers and three freshmen.Â
Through 28 games, redshirt freshman Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.), redshirt junior Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nevada), junior Maddy Clowdus (Eastvale, Calif.), and senior Cassie Gillespie (Sylvania, Ohio) pace the Akron offense posting a combined .301 average (77-of-255) and 23 RBI. Along with her .302 batting average, Clowdus has garnered a team-high .585 slugging percentage and four home runs to pace the Zips offense. Jascoe is the Zips leader in the hits category posting 26 hits in 79 at-bats (.329 average) in 28 starts while also posting a team third-best six RBI. Rodriguez is averaging .308 from the dish and owns a .423 on-base percentage while the speedster has scored a team-high nine runs, totaled 35 bases, three home runs, and is 11-for-14 in stolen base attempts. In 28 starts at first base, Gillespie is hitting .259 with 15 hits in 58 at-bats while defensively, the senior leads the squad defensively with a .986 fielding percentage, 136 putouts, and four assists.Â
Inside the circle, freshmen Mikayla Newland (Chillicothe, Ohio), Kayla Kmett (San Clemente, Calif.), senior Kooper Vertz (Dilsboro, Ind.), and freshman Shaye DeLeonardis have tossed a combined 166.0 innings, own a 7.17 earned run average and have recorded 86 strikeouts. Newland stands 1-8 on the rubber for the Zips in 10 starts, has posted a 6.14 ERA, struck out 27 batters, and has pitched five complete games, including a 1-0 complete game shutout victory. Kmett (0-9) and Vertz (0-9) have pitched a combined 120.1 innings, given up 148 runs on 175 hits. Since joining the team, DeLeonardis has pitched six innings, gave up 15 hits, and 12 runs.Â
Jones named Gillespie and Lakins team captains for the 2018 season.Â
Zips Tidbits
- Maddy Clowdus (2/24-3/11) and Caitlin Gambone (2/17-2/24) own a team-best six-game hit streak this season.Â
- Rodriguez reached base safely in eight straight contests. (2/23-3/17), a team-high, and has a current seven-game on base-streak.Â
- Sydney Jascoe leads the Zips with seven multi-hit performances while, Gambone, Jascoe, Rodriguez, and Holzman have all posted a three-hit contest.Â
- Jessie Holzman tallied a season-high three RBI in a contest and Cassie Gillespie, Laura Lakins, and Rodriguez has each garnered a two-RBI performance.Â
- Sydney Jascoe is hitting .339 with the bases empty, .300 with runners on the base path, and .333 with runners in scoring position.Â
- With two outs, Cassie Gillespie and Maddy Clowdus are hitting .368 and .400, and are a combined 13-of-34.
- Shaye DeLeonardis, Kooper Vertz, and Kayla Kmett are fly ball pitchers forcing 16.8, 8.59 and 9.37 fly ball outs per contests, while Mikayla Newland utilizes the ground ball out recording 9.4 per ballgame.Â
- Kimberly Rodriguez hit a home run in back-to-back days against Toledo (3/24-25) for her second and third of the season.Â
- Shaye DeLeonardis made her Akron debut against Toledo (3/24).Â
- Kayla Kmett set a new career-high in strikeouts per game (6) against Toledo (3/24).Â
- Rodriguez went a perfect 3-for-3 against Toledo (3/25) with a home run. The first three-hit game of her career.Â
- In the three-game series against the Rockets, Rodriguez played second base, center field, right field, and as the designated player and recorded 11 putouts and three assists (.933 fld%).Â
- Kooper Vertz tallied a career-best 6 K's against Ball State (3/30).Â
- Against Ball State on 3/30, Caitlin Gambone went 3-for-3 and Sydney Jascoe went 3-for-4 combining to register 2/3 of Akron's total hits (9) in the contest.Â
Up Next
Akron's road trip continues as the Zips travel to Kalamazoo, Mich., this upcoming weekend for a three-game series with Western Michigan. Akron and the Broncos are scheduled for a contest on Friday, April 6 at 3 p.m. and a doubleheader between the two schools on Saturday, April 7, beginning at 1 p.m.
