Akron Softball Drops A Pair On Day One Of Orange & Black Tournament

Friday, February 22

Mercer, Ga.

11 AM

University of Akron

No. 19 Indiana

Photo by: Mike Slade

Akron Softball Drops A Pair On Day One Of Orange & Black Tournament

February 22 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

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Game One vs. No. 19 Indiana: Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
Game Two vs. Mercer: Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

MERCER, Ga. – On day one of the Orange and Black Tournament hosted by the Mercer softball team, the Akron softball team dropped a pair of contests to No. 19 Indiana and tournament host, Mercer, on Friday at Sikes Field.

In game one, the Zips fell to the 19^thranked team in the NCAA, Indiana, 8-1 to open play at the Black and Orange Tournament.

The Hoosiers scored at least one run in the first four innings to take a 6-1 lead heading into the fifth inning. IU then cashed in on two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning.

Akron tallied its only run of the contest in the bottom of the third inning. Senior Jordan Crews (Waco, Ga.) and freshman Camryn Michallas (Huntington, W. Va.) registered back-to-back walks to lead off the inning. Junior Madison Carter (Newnan, Ga.), who pinch ran for Crews at first, stole second during Michallas' at-bat and stole third on a double steal with junior Jessie Holzman (Medina, Ohio) at the plate. With one out in the inning, junior Macky Mitchiner (Riverside, Calif.) sent a groundball to the Hoosiers shortstop who threw Mitchiner out at first, however, Carter was able to dart home from third on the play and score.

Sophomore Mikayla Newland (Chillicothe, Ohio) and freshman Lexie Petrof (Ligonier, Pa.) both appeared inside the circle against Indiana. Combined the two gave up eight runs on 13 hits and struck out a pair.

Contest number two ended in an 11-7 win for the Bears in an offensive battle between the two squads.

After Mercer sprinted out to a 4-0 lead over Akron in the first two innings, the Zips bats came alive in top of the third inning to tie the game back up at four runs each.

Akron used a two-out rally that started with a double right field for Holzman followed by a throwing error by the Bears during Mitchiner's at-bat allowing the Zips left fielder to score from second.

Back-to-back home runs earned the Zips their next three runs. In Akron's next at-bat, redshirt senior Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nev.) dropped a bomb to centerfield for a two-run home run. Redshirt sophomore Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.) followed her teammate's example knocking her third HR of the season to left field.

Mercer broke the 4-4 deadlock tie in the bottom of the fifth inning and reclaimed the lead, 6-4.

Again, the Zips fought back a half inning later to knot the game up at six all. Identical to the third inning, Akron hit back-to-back solo home runs this time off the bat of sophomore Kayla Wulf (Maumee, Ohio) and junior Samantha Malik (Orlando, Fla.).

The Bears answered the Zips pair of home runs with a five-run sixth inning to take an 11-6 lead heading into the final inning of play.

Now down to their last three outs of the ballgame, Akron needed another rally. With two outs, Rodriguez cranked her second home run of the game and fifth for the Zips on the day.

But the one run was not enough for the comeback as Mercer secured the win.

Akron returns to the diamond tomorrow for day two of the Mercer Tournament. The Zips take on Loyola (Chi.) at 12:15 p.m. and a rematch against Mercer at 4:45 p.m.