Akron Softball Hosts Western Michigan In 2019 Home Opener

Saturday, March 30

Akron, Ohio

12:00 PM

University of Akron

Western Michigan

Akron Softball Hosts Western Michigan In 2019 Home Opener

March 28 | Softball

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Akron vs. Western Michigan
March 29-30 | Akron, Ohio
Lee Jackson Field

Game Information
Live Stats: GoZips.com
Watch (Friday): G ame One
Watch (Saturday) : Game One | Game Two
Akron vs. Western Michigan Gamenotes (PDF)

What's Ahead
After 24 games on the road spanning over nearly two months, the Akron softball team returns to the friendly confines of Lee Jackson Field as the Zips are scheduled for their 2019 home opener this weekend, March 29-30. Akron welcomes in MAC foe, Western Michigan, to campus for a three-game series. The Zips and Broncos are slated for one contest on Friday, March 29 at 3 p.m., before a doubleheader awaits to the two squads on Saturday, March, 29 starting at 1 p.m.

Scouting the Broncos
Western Michigan, the lone team yet to compete on conference play, heads into its MAC opener with a 7-13 non-conference record through 20 games. The Broncos took part in two tournaments early on in the season going a combined 7-11 at the Kajikawa Classic (0-4), South Florida Series (7-7). In its last two contests, WMU fell to #25 Michigan (0-3) and Notre Dame (4-11), both on the road. The Broncos will not play their first home contest until April 5.

The Broncos have a pair of student-athletes hitting above .300 after 20 games with another pair averaging over .250 to lead the offensive efforts. Sydney Stefanick is the teams leading hitter and has posted a .383/.754/.419 slash mark, including a 1.173 OPS. In 20 games and 17 starts, Stefanick has tallied 21 hits, four doubles, nine runs scored and a team-best six home runs and 21 RBI. In the MAC, Stefanick ranks in the top-10 in slugging percentage (3rd), RBI (5th), home runs (6th), and batting average (.368). The Broncos leader in hits, Mackenzie Swinehart, has knocked out 23 base hits and five extra-base hits, including two doubles and three triples while driving in nine RBI. Kaylen Glenfield averages .299 at the plate in 67 at-bats. Glenfield paces the Broncos in doubles (6) while recording 20 hits, 26 total bases, and nine runs. Jenna Faultersack rounds out Western Michigan's top-sluggers owning a .283 average, 17 hits, three doubles, a homer, and five runs driven in.

Stefanick doubles as the Broncos top hitter at the plate and one of their top pitchers inside the circle. The sophomore has appeared in 11 games, made six starts, and owns a 4-4 record. In a team-high 61.2 innings of work, Stefanick has given up 53 hits, surrendered 33 runs and 24 earned to total a 2.72 earned run average. WMU's ace has hurled four complete games, two shutouts, struck out 39 and walked just 17. Jordan Kurth, the Broncos veteran in its rotation, has picked up a 3-4 record in 12 games and eight starts. Jordan has tallied a 3.78 ERA by way of 46 hits, 29 runs, and 18 earned runs while striking out 13 and walking 25. Reily Galloway owns an 0-5 mark on the rubber in six starts and nine appearances.

In the NCAA, Stefanick ranks 79th in home runs per game (0.26), 97th in hits allowed per seven innings (5.37), 101st in ERA (1.95), and 141st in RBI per game (0.89). Swinehart ranks 64th in the nation in triples per game (0.11), while a trio of Broncos, including Skyler Sobeski (74th, 0.19), Erin Barg (88th, 0.18), and Logan Carter (113th, 0.17), rank in the top-115 in sacrifice hits per game, respectively.

Series History
Western Michigan and Akron have met on the diamond 58 times since the two programs first met in 1980. The Broncos hold the series advantage over the Zips with an all-time record of 33-21. Although, Akron has seen recent success against WMU winning five of the last eight meetings including two wins at Lee Jackson Field. Overall in 31 contests on the campus of the University of Akron, the Zips trail the Broncos, 11-20 and are 17-31 when competing in a league contest.

With A Win Over Western Michigan, Akron Would...

Earn wins 7, 8, or 9 on the season.
Open the 2019 home schedule with a win
Break a nine-game losing skid.
Earn its first MAC win of the season.

Last Time Out
The Akron softball team is back in the win column as the Zips split a 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.

2019 Zip Breakdown
Under the guidance of 13th-year head coach, Julie Jones, the Zips are amidst the 42nd season of competition in 2019. Akron returned 11 letterwinners from a season ago and welcomed nine freshmen to the squad, including four transfers and five true freshmen.

Redshirt sophomore Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.), made an immediate impact in 2018 for the Zips in her first season of competition and was named to the 2018 All-MAC Second Team. Jascoe has picked right up from where she left off in 2018 and leads the Akron offensive efforts from the plate. Starting all 24 games at third base for the Zips, Jascoe owns a .397/.726/.438 slash line which includes a team-high 29 hits, six doubles, six home runs, 19 RBI, 53 total bases, and is a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases. The redshirt sophomore earned MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors in the first week of the season and has continued to rake ever since.

Sophomore Kayla Wulf (Maumee, Ohio) has taken a big step in her second season in an Akron uniform. Wulf owns a team second-best .338 average, .926 OPS, .492 slugging percentage, and .434 on-base percentage. Wulf has already surpassed her 2018 stats and recorded new season-highs in hits (22), runs scored (8), doubles (4), RBI (13), walks (10) which are a team-high, and four stolen bases. The Zips catcher recorded a 10-game on-base streak (2/22-3/23) spanning over a month.

The Akron outfield has played a large role in the Akron offense through 24 games of the 2019 season. After an injury ended her 2018 season early, junior Jessie Holzman (Medina, Ohio) has made an impact in the Akron lineup. The Zips left fielder is hitting .308 in 24 starts including 16 hits, two doubles, has scored 10 runs and swiped seven bases. Senior Jordan Crews (Waco, Ga.) has found a home in right field, is hitting .291 with 16 hits, four RBI, two doubles, and is 5-for-5 in stolen bases. In her first season in an Akron uniform, junior Macky Mitchiner (Riverside, Calif.) roams centerfield for the Zips and fit right into the Akron offense. Mitchiner has posted a .250 average on 18 hits, scored 13 runs, and totaled 22 bases including eight stolen bases.

Redshirt senior Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nevada) and junior Samantha Malik (Orlando, Fla.) are among the top seven hitters in the Akron lineup in 2019 posting a combined .303 average (37-of-322) and 21 RBI. Rodriguez has driven in 13 runs which is tied for second-most in the lineup, scored a team-high 19 runs, and swiped a squad-best 10 bases as the designated player. Malik, the second baseman for the Zips and junior college transfer, is hitting .288, knocked out 19 hits, five doubles, two home runs, eight RBI, and scored 10 runs.

Inside the circle, the sister duo of junior Adrian Smith (St. Clairsville, Ohio) and freshman Amaya Smith (St. Clairsville, Ohio) have started 17 of the Zips 24 games and made a combined 29 appearances. Ad. Smith has tossed a team-high 60.2 innings of work and owns a 4.62 ERA, tossed three complete games, recorded a team-best four wins, and 51 strikeouts. In five starts and 12 games on the rubber, Am. Smith has given up 47 hits, 23 runs (21 earned), and totaled a 5.08 ERA. Freshman Lexie Petrof (Ligonier, Pa.), has been key for the Zips out of the bullpen making nine appearances while also earning a start. In 21.2 innings of work, Petrof has tallied a 5.82 ERA, given up 32 hits, and struck out nine.

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 Hose Invitational.
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).
Sydney Jascoe recorded at least one hit in all five games for the Zips recording a five-game hit streak.
Adrian Smith picked up her first win in her first appearance in an Akron uniform against Morgan State (12-11).
The Zips scored 12 runs in their season opener, which is the most runs scored by an Akron team in a season opener.
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.
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.
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.
Sydney Jascoe recorded three RBI against George Mason which are a career-high in a single-game.
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.
Sydney Jascoe has recorded team-highs in multi-hit games (8), hitting streak (8 games), and multi-RBI games (6).
Kayla Wulf owns a team-best on-base streak (10 games).
Sydney Jascoe is currently on a team-best five-game hitting streak and has the largest active on-base streak at five games.
The Zips offense has scored a season-high 23 runs in the third inning.
Jascoe owns a .600 batting average with a runner on third and less than two outs and .515 when successfully advancing runners.
Jordan Crews is hitting a team-high .667 with runners in scoring position, Kayla Wulf .545 with runners on the bases, Jessie Holzman owns a team-best .533 average when leading off an inning, and Sydney Jascoe and Kimberly Rodriguez have totaled a team-high seven RBI with two outs.
Sydney Jascoe owns a team-best .357 average with bases empty.
Adrian Smith records a team-high 5.88 strikeouts per game while Lexie Petrof averages a team-high 1.3 K's to walk ratio and 11.95 flyouts per outing.
With two outs in an inning, Amaya Smith owns a pitching staff-low .220 opponent batting average while Adrian Smith has posted a staff-low 6.69 hits per outing.
Amaya Smith tossed her first career complete game shutout in an 8-0 win over North Carolina A&T.
Freshman Camryn Michallas recorded her first career multi-hit contest against UT Martin going 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Sydney Jascoe and Kimberly Rodriguez hit their fifth and third home runs of the season against Ball State, respectively. It was also the second time the two have homered in the same game this season.
Macky Mitchiner has recorded a team-best 40 straight putouts. Laura Lakins owns a team-high 94 putouts, while Jascoe has recorded a team-high 41 assists.
Jascoe and Kayla Wulf are averaging over one hit per game, 1.14 and 1.00, respectively.
Sydney Jascoe launched her team-leading sixth home run of the season, recorded her eighth multi-hit contest and posted her sixth multi-RBI performance against Youngstown State.

Up Next
Akron host Buffalo in midweek MACtion at Lee Jackson Field as the Mid-American Conference softball schedule rolls along on Tuesday, April 2. The Zips and Bulls are slated for a twinbill starting at 3 p.m.