The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Green Bay
Akron Softball Closes Out Tournament Play At Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic
March 15 | Softball
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Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic Game Notes (PDF)
March. 16-17 | Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic | Martin, Tenn.
March 16 vs. Green Bay | 10 a.m.
March 16 vs. UT Martin | 12:30 p.m.
March 17 vs. Green Bay | 10 a.m.
March 17 vs. UT Martin | 12 p.m.
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What's Ahead
After two weekends off of competition, the Akron softball team returns to the diamond to compete at the Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic hosted by UT Martin. The Zips are scheduled for its final tournament of the season in Martin, Tenn., starting on Saturday, March 16, when Akron takes on Green Bay (10 a.m.) and UT Martin (12:30 p.m.). Akron closes out tournament play on Sunday, March 17, going head-to-head once more with Green Bay (10 a.m.) and UT Martin (Noon).Â
Scouting the Phoenix
Green Bay has competed in nine games since Feb. 8 to begin the 2019 softball campaign. The Phoenix took part in the Total Control Sports Invitational (2-3), was rained out at the Cougar Classic, and most recently competed at the Saluki Invitational (1-3). Green Bay's three wins came against Fort Wayne (3-1), Western Illinois (4-3), and Big 10 opponent, Iowa (6-4).Â
The Phoenix offense has recorded 51 hits, 23 runs scored, 19 RBI, while posting a team .225 batting average. Individually, Bailey Schultz is the top hitter for Green Bay as the junior outfielder owns a team-high .464 batting average, .964 OPS, .500 on-base percentage, and a .464 slugging percentage. In all nine games and 28 at-bats, Schultz has notched 13 hits, scored four runs, totaled 13 bases, and recorded one RBI. The duo of Greta Thompson and Crystal Guzman have each tallied a batting average over .300, respectively. Thompson, a .333 hitter, has recorded six hits in 18 at-bats including a team-high three doubles. Guzman owns a team-best three RBI while hitting .320 for the Phoenix.
Inside the circle, Kayla Schwebke is the ace on the Green Bay roster. In five starts, Schwebke has tossed five complete games totaling and has pitched no less than six innings in a single game to total 35 innings on the year. The Phoenix sophomore hurler owns a 2.80 ERA, a 3-1 record, given up 27 hits, 19 runs (14 earned), struck out 24 and walked 23. Brittany Baneck and Greta Thompson have each made two starts on the season for the Phoenix and have combined to throw 21.0 innings, given up 32 hits, 21 runs (18 earned), four K's and 11 walks.Â
Scouting the Skyhawks
Already 22 games into the 2019 softball campaign, tournament host UT Martin has posted a 12-10 record heading into its fifth tournament of the season. The Skyhawks have competed at the Georgia Southern Bash In The Boro (3-2), Black and Gold Tournament (4-1), Blues City Classic (1-3), and Stetson Invitational (3-2).Â
UT Martin's offense is led by a pair of Skyhawks at the plate in Paige Clark and Kenna Karst. Clark, a sophomore outfielder for UTM, has recorded a slash line of .393/.459/.464. In 61 at-bats, Rose has collected team highs in hits (24), triples (2), and walks (7) while also notching 14 runs scored, eight RBI and 28 total bases. Karst, a freshman catcher/outfielder, owns 15 hits, four doubles, nine RBI, and eight runs scored in 18 games and 16 starts. As a team, the Skyhawks have tallied 146 hits, 29 doubles, 85 RBI, 103 runs scored, 57 walks, and 84 K's.Â
Four Skywaks have seen action inside the circle through 22 games with all four earning at least two points. Erin Gallagher owns a team-low 1.82 earned run average and team-high 12 appearances. In 34.2 innings of work, Gallagher has given up 33 hits and a team-low 12 runs (nine earned), a team-high 27 strikeouts to just eight walks. Â In a team-high 40.1 innings of action on the rubber, Lexi Ray has earned a 4-4 record, has tossed four complete games, one shutout, and a 20-to-10 strikeout/walk ratio. Hannah Ridolfi, who is tied with Ray for a team-best four wins on the season has hurled a team-best five complete games and two shutouts while surrendering 36 hits, 23 runs, and 20 earned runs.Â
Series History
For the first time in program history, the Akron softball team and the Green Bay Phoenix are scheduled to meet between the lines.Â
The Zips and tournament host, UT Martin, are meeting for the eighth and ninth times since the first meeting in 1986. The Skyhawks holds a slight 4-3 edge over the Zips in the previous seven match-ups. In the past two seasons, Akron is just 1-3 against UT Martin with the Zips victory coming in 2017 with a 3-2 win at the Black and Gold Tournament.Â
Last Time Out
Akron softball closed out tournament play for the 2018 regular season at the Skyhawk Hampton Inn Classic with a pair of losses to Northern Kentucky (6-2) and UT Martin (10-2) Sunday afternoon in Martin, Tenn
In game two of the afternoon, Akron scored first in the ballgame in the top of the first inning, but the Zips could not keep the Skyhawks off the board as UT Martin came out on top, 10-2.
Redshirt freshman Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.) led off the contest with an infield single to the shortstop. After Jascoe was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gillespie, Rodriguez ripped a double to right-center field scoring Jascoe. Rodriguez was also able to come all the way around to score after a throwing error by the Skyhawks first baseman.
The host of the tournament, UT Martin, would take over from that point scoring 10 runs in four of the five innings played before the contest ended in the fifth inning due to the NCAA run rule.
Senior Kooper Vertz (Dilsboro, Ind.) made her fifth start of the season and Kmett appeared in her 13th tilt in the circle for Akron. Kertz tossed 1.1 innings, gave up seven runs on seven hits while Kmett pitched three relief innings and surrendered five hits, three runs (two earned), and struck out one.
2019 Zips Tidbits
- Eight Zips, including Samantha Malik, Macky Mitchiner, Camryn Michallas, Amaya Smith, Lauren Holdsworth, Morgan Cadmus, Adrian Smith, and Lexie Petrof made their Akron debuts at the Blue Host Invitational.Â
- Five Akron players recorded an OPS of over 1.000 in Akron's first five games, including Sydney Jascoe (1.559), Jessie Holzman (1.115), Kimberly Rodriguez (1.004), and Samantha Malik (1.034).Â
- Sydney Jascoe recorded at least one hit in all five games for the Zips recording a five-game hit streak.Â
- Adrian Smith picked up her first win in her first appearance in an Akron uniform against Morgan State (12-11).Â
- The Zips scored 12 runs in their season opener, which is the most runs scored by an Akron team in a season opener.Â
- For the third time in program history, Akron has ended two games in a draw. No Zips team has finished a season with more than a pair of ties.Â
- In the first five games of the season, Akron stole 18 bases in 22 attempts courtesy of nine different Zips baserunners, including six base runners going a combined 12-for-12.Â
- Adrian Smith struck out a season-high eight batters against Morgan State in her second victory of the season.
- Mikayla Newland and Adrian Smith recorded the Zips first combined shutout of the season (5-0) over the Bears.
- Amaya Smith earned her first collegiate victory inside the circle against George Mason.Â
- Sydney Jascoe recorded three RBI against George Mason which are a career-high in a single-game.Â
- At the Madeira Beach Tournament, Akron recorded 36 hits, eight doubles, two home runs, 20 RBI, scored 36 runs, and went 13-for-17 on stolen bases.Â
- Sydney Jascoe has recorded team-highs in multi-hit games (5), hitting streaks (8 games), multi-RBI games (4), on-base streak (8 games).Â
- Kayla Wulf is currently on a team-best four-game hitting streak and has the largest active on-base streak at four games.Â
- The Zips offense has scored a season-high 18 runs in the third inning.Â
- Jascoe owns a batting average above .500 with a runner on third and less than two outs, and when successfully advancing runners.Â
- Laura Lakins is hitting a team-high .833 with runners in scoring position and .556 with runners on the bases, Jessie Holzman owns a team-best .778 average when leading off an inning, and Kimberly Rodriguez has totaled a team-high five RBI with two outs.
- Amaya Smith tossed her first career complete game shutout in an 8-0 win over North Carolina A&T.Â
Up Next
With the conclusion of tournament play, the Akron softball team sets its sights on Mid-American Conference play as the Zips head to Muncie, Ind. The 2019 league season begins on March 22 as the Zips take on Ball State on at 3 p.m. Akron and the Cardinals meet again on Saturday, March 23, for a doubleheader to round out the three-game series.
