Late Offense By Western Michigan Defeats Akron 9-2

Saturday, April 7

Kalamazoo, MI

1 PM

University of Akron

1-29-1, 0-9

Western Michigan University

18-15, 5-3

Akron

Western Michigan

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Late Offense By Western Michigan Defeats Akron 9-2

April 07 | Softball

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KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- After Akron claimed an early 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning, the Western Michigan offense took over scoring nine unanswered runs en route to a 9-2 victory over the Zips on Saturday afternoon at Ebert Field in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The Akron offense tallied six hits and three walks in the contest but struggled to drive in baserunners as the Zips stranded nine on the base path against the Broncos. The Akron seniors led the way offensively going a combined 4-for-8 with two singles, a double, an RBI, and a stolen base. Redshirt freshman Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.) and junior Laura Lakins (Akron, Ohio) each pitched in a hit on the afternoon.

Inside the circle, senior Kooper Vertz (Dilsboro, Ind.) made her 10^thstart and 21^stappearance of the season for the Zips. The senior tossed 3.2 innings, struck out two, forced six fly outs and three groundouts. Freshmen Kayla Kmett (San Clemente, Calif.) and Shaye DeLeonardis (Martins Ferry, Ohio) both made an appearance out of the bullpen in relief efforts of Vertz and hurled a combined 2.1 innings, struck out one, had one fly out, and two groundouts.

Akron and Western Michigan each had a pair of base runners in the second inning but would leave them stranded before the Zips were finally able to push a pair of runs across the plate in the third inning.

With one out in the top of the third, Jascoe laced a double to left-center field and moved over to third base on a wild pitch. Gillespie dug into the batter's box with a runner in scoring position and hit an RBI double to left-center field to give Akron a 1-0 advantage. After Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nevada) reached safely on a fielder's choice and advanced to third courtesy of a single by Gamebone, the Zips perfectly executed a double steal which scored Rodriguez from third.

From that point on, Western Michigan took over scoring two runs to tie the game in the bottom half of the third, three in the fourth, and two in the sixth inning to cap it off.

Akron and Western Michigan are now scheduled for a doubleheader on Sunday, April 8, after inclement weather allowed just one game to be played on Saturday.