Akron Back In The Win Column Against Western Michigan

Sunday, April 8

Kalamazoo, MI

Noon

University of Akron

1-30-1, 0-10

Western Michigan University

19-15, 6-3

Akron

Western Michigan

Photo by: Jeff Harwell

Akron Back In The Win Column Against Western Michigan

April 08 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game One: Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
Game Two: Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Akron softball team is back in the win column as the Zips split Sunday's doubleheader with Western Michigan defeating the Broncos, 5-4, in game two after falling, 5-2, in game one to close out the three-game series at Ebert Field in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The Zips earned their second victory of the season completing the 5-4 win over the Broncos in game two. Akron took a 4-3 lead into the seventh inning of play and added an insurance run in top half of the inning which proved to be vital as the eventual game-winning run.

After Western Michigan took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Akron bounced back in their next at-bat and claimed a 2-1 lead in the top of the second inning. Just as the Zips have done many times this season, junior Jordan Crews (Waco, Ga.) and redshirt junior Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nevada) perfectly executed a double steal to score the first run of the inning. Two batters later, sophomore Madison Carter (Newnan, Ga.) stepped to the plate with one out and slapped a ground ball to the WMU shortstop. The soft hit ground ball gave Crews an opportunity to take off from third and score as Carter was thrown out at first.

The Broncos tied the game back up at two apiece in the bottom half of the second before the Zips offense continued to roll in the third and added two more runs to their score. With the bases loaded and two outs in the inning, Crews made her way to the batter's box. One swing of the bat by Crews gave Akron a 4-2 lead ripping a single up the middle which allowed Gillespie and freshman Kayla Wulf (Maumee, Ohio) to score.

Holding on to a one-run lead heading into the seventh inning, Akron added a decisive insurance run in the top half of the inning when Rodriguez launched a solo home run to left field for her fourth dinger and eighth RBI of the season.

Western Michigan attempted a late-game rally bringing the game within one run, 5-4, in the bottom half of the seventh, but with the bases loaded and two outs freshman Kayla Kmett (San Clemente, Calif.) closed the door on the Broncos forcing a groundout to Jascoe at shortstop.

Kmett earned her first win of the season and of her career after entering the game in relief of starter, senior Kopper Vertz (Dilsboro, Ind.), in the third inning. Kmett tossed 5.0 innings, gave up four hits, two runs, struck out one, and forced eight groundouts and six fly outs.

In the first contest of the afternoon, Western Michigan held the Zips scoreless through six innings of play and scored five runs of their own to take a 5-0 lead into the final inning of play.

Akron would not go down without a fight in their last at-bats in the seventh inning scoring a pair of runs, but it would not be enough to complete the comeback effort. Redshirt freshman Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.) hit her third double in as many games and sixth double in seven the last seven with one out. Senior Cassie Gillespie (Sylvania, Ohio) singled into left field for an RBI double driving in Akron's first run and her seventh RBI of the season. The Zips scored their second run of the game later in the inning when Wulf ripped an RBI single into left field scoring senior Caitlin Gambone (Canton, Ohio) from third who reached on a fielder's choice.

Kmett threw her second complete game inside the circle for the Zips going 6.0 innings, gave up seven hits, five runs (four earned), and struck out one.

The Zips out-hit the Broncos 8-to-7 in the first game but left 11 runners on the base path. Jascoe led the Akron offense going 3-for-4 and scored a run followed by Wulf who went 2-for-3, drew walk, and drove in an RBI. Gillespie, Gambone, and Rodriguez each tallied a base knock.

Akron is back in action and returns home to Lee R. Jackson Field on Wednesday, April 11, to close out the three-game series with Buffalo. The Zips and Bulls are scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.