The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
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Western Michigan
Midweek MACtion Slated For Tuesday Between Akron and Buffalo
April 01 | Softball
Follow Coach Jones on Twitter
Akron vs. Buffalo
April 2 | Akron, Ohio
Lee Jackson Field
Game Information
Live Stats:Â GoZips.com
Watch:Â Game One
Watch:Â Game Two
Akron vs. Buffalo Gamenotes (PDF)
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What's Ahead
Midweek MACtion is scheduled to take place at Lee Jackson Field on the campus of the University of Akron for the first time in 2019 as the Zips host Buffalo on Tuesday, April 2. Akron and the Bulls are scheduled for a doubleheader with game one starting at 1 p.m. and game two tentatively slated for 3 p.m.
Scouting the Bulls
Buffalo will enter Tuesday's doubleheader against the Zips owning a lower overall winning percentage (.196) than Akron, but sits sixth overall in the Mid-American Conference standings as the Bulls are 2-2-1 in league player after five contests. UB posted a 3-20 non-conference ledger prior to the start of MAC play on March 22. In league contests, Buffalo split the opening weekend against Northern Illinois winning 8-4 and losing 10-4, before splitting a three-game series against Central Michigan, 1-1-1. Buffalo has not picked up a win on the road in 2019 going 0-6 away from New York.Â
Buffalo's duo of Anna Aguon and Jenelle Martinez pace the Bulls offense from the plate in 2019 each hitting over .300. In 26 starts, Aguon is hitting a team-best .400/.682/.469 which includes 34 hits, 10 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 16 runs scored which all are team-highs, along with 12 RBI, nine walks, and two strikeouts. Martinez has seen a lot of success at the plate for the Bulls and is hitting .324 in 74 at-bats while starting all 26 games for Buffalo. The Bulls junior infielder has tallied 24 hits, 12 RBI, five doubles, scored 13 runs and totaled 32 bases. Additionally, Martinez owns 14 walks, struck out nine times, and stolen eight bases in nine attempts on the base path. Junior utility player for Buffalo, Gabby Keller, has started 19 games and played in 22 contests en route to a .288 batting average by way of 15 hits in 52 at-bats which includes three doubles, 5 RBI, and seven runs scored.Â
Inside the circle, the Bulls rely on a pair of senior arms in its pitching staff which include Ally Power and Lace Smith.Power, who owns a 3-12 record in 21 games and 15 starts while throwing seven complete games. In 93.2 innings of work, Power has given up 138 hits, 92 runs, and 63 earned runs to total a 6.05 earned run average. Power has additionally struck out 41 batters, walked 24, and given up 39 extra-base hits while the opposition is averaging .335 at the plate. Fellow senior, Smith, has tossed 73.2 innings of work in 18 games and 12 starts. En route to a 2-9 record on the rubber, Smith has allowed 115 hits, 76 runs, 62 earned runs, struck out 15 and walked 27.Â
In the NCAA, Aguon ranks 116th in batting average, 24th in doubles per game (0.38), and 126th in slugging percentage (.682) while Martinez is rated 114th in sacrifice flies (2), and Alexis Matheney and Alissa Karjel rank 27th and 99th in walks, respectively. As a team, the Bulls rank second in doubles (44), second in walks (122), sixth in home runs, first in strikeouts, and fourth in on-base percentage. Inside the MAC, Aguon ranks third in batting average, fifth in slugging percentage, ninth in on-base percentage, seventh in hits, and fourth in doubles.Â
Series History
Since the first meeting between the two programs in 2000, Akron has seen nothing but success against Buffalo on the softball diamond. The Zips own an all-time series record of 33-10 against the Bulls and an 18-5 record at Lee R. Jackson Field. The Zips are 11-5 in the last 16 encounters with Buffalo. From 2011 to 2016, Akron dropped Buffalo in nine straight games and from 2005 to 2016, UA won 20 of 21 match-ups.Â
With A Win Over Buffalo, Akron Would...
- Earn wins 7/8 on the season.
- Break an 11 game losing streak.Â
- Earn its first MAC win of the season.Â
- End a three-game losing streak to Buffalo. Â
Last Time Out
The Akron softball closed out its three-game series with Buffalo at Lee R. Jackson Field On April 11, 2018, as the Bulls defeated the Zips, 4-2, to claim all three games in the series.Â
Buffalo defeated Akron in two games on April 3 in Buffalo, N.Y., before getting one final win in Akron, Ohio.Â
The Zips recorded eight hits in the ballgame but left seven runners on base, which has given Akron trouble all season. Three Akron players, including redshirt freshman Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.), senior Cassie Gillespie (Sylvania, Ohio), and senior Caitlin Gambone (Canton, Ohio) each garnered a two-hit contest going a combined 6-for-10. Junior Laura Lakins (Akron, Ohio) only hit of the contest was huge for the Zips as she tallied two more RBI for her team-leading 12 runs batted in, while junior Jordan Crews (Waco, Ga.) logged one hit.Â
Freshman Kayla Kmett (San Clemente, Calif.) hurled her third complete game of the season against the Bulls. The Zips starter tossed 7.0 innings, gave up nine hits, four runs, only two were earned while also adding three K's.Â
Akron had three hits through the first three innings but left two runners on base. The Zips finally were able to get on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Freshman Kayla Wulf (Maumee, Ohio) and redshirt junior Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nevada) opened the inning with back-to-back walks and moved up one base as Gambone laid down a sacrifice bunt. In the next at-bat, Lakins laced a line drive that went just past the Buffalo shortstop and into the outfield allowing both Wulf and Rodriguez to come around and score to tie the game up.Â
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.Â
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 26 games at third base for the Zips, Jascoe owns a .383/.679/.420 slash line which includes a team-high 31 hits, six doubles, six home runs, 19 RBI, 55 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.Â
Sophomore Kayla Wulf (Maumee, Ohio) has taken a big step in her second season in an Akron uniform. Wulf owns a team second-best .342 average, .950 OPS, .521 slugging percentage, and .429 on-base percentage. Wulf has already surpassed her 2018 stats and recorded new season-highs in hits (25), runs scored (9), doubles (4), RBI (16), walks (10) which are a team-high, and five stolen bases. The Zips catcher recorded a 10-game on-base streak (2/22-3/23) spanning over a month.Â
The Akron outfield has played a large role in the Akron offense through 26 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 .339 in 26 starts including 19 hits, three doubles, has scored 11 runs and swiped eight bases. Senior Jordan Crews (Waco, Ga.) has found a home in right field, is hitting .291 with 18 hits, four RBI, two doubles, and is 6-for-6 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 .263 average on 21 hits, scored 14 runs, and totaled 25 bases including 10 stolen bases.Â
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 .266 average (41-of-154) and 24 RBI. Rodriguez has driven in 15 runs which is tied for second-most in the lineup, scored a team-high 21 runs, and swiped a squad-best 11 bases as the designated player. Malik, the second baseman for the Zips and junior college transfer, is hitting .274, knocked out 20 hits, five doubles, three home runs, nine RBI, and scored 11 runs.Â
Inside the circle, the sister duo of junior Adrian Smith (St. Clairsville, Ohio) and freshman Amaya Smith (St. Clairsville, Ohio) have started 18 of the Zips 26 games and made a combined 31 appearances. Ad. Smith has tossed a team-high 67.2 innings of work and owns a 4.45 ERA, tossed four complete games, recorded a team-best four wins, and 56 strikeouts. In five starts and 12 games on the rubber, Am. Smith has given up 49 hits, 35 runs (25 earned), and totaled a 5.53 ERA. Freshman Lexie Petrof (Ligonier, Pa.), has been key for the Zips out of the bullpen making 10 appearances while also earning two starts. In 23.1 innings of work, Petrof has tallied a 6.90 ERA, given up 38 hits, and struck out nine.Â
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.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 (9), hitting streak (8 games), and multi-RBI games (6).
- Kayla Wulf owns a team-best on-base streak (10 games). Â
- Jessie Holzman and Kimberly Rodriguez are currently on a team-best three-game hitting streak and have the largest active on-base streak at five games along with Jessie Holzman.
- The Zips offense has scored a season-high 23 runs in the third inning.Â
- Camryn Michallas owns a 1.000 batting average with a runner on third and less than two outs.
- Jessie Holzman has recorded a team-best .556 average when successfully advancing runners.Â
- Jordan Crews is hitting a team-high .455 with runners in scoring position, Kayla Wulf has tallied a .556 average with runners on the bases, Jessie Holzman owns a team-best .533 average when leading off an inning, and Kimberly Rodriguez has totaled a team-high nine RBI with two outs.
- Jessie Holzman owns a team-best .355 average with bases empty.Â
- Adrian Smith records a team-high 5.79 strikeouts per game while Kooper Vertz averages a team-high 2.0 K's to walk ratio, and Lexie Petrof averages 12.00 flyouts per outing.Â
- With two outs in an inning, Amaya Smith owns a pitching staff-low .256 opponent batting average while Adrian Smith has posted a staff-low 7.03 hits per outing.Â
- Amaya Smith tossed her first career complete game shutout in an 8-0 win over North Carolina A&T.Â
- 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.Â
- 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.Â
- 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.
- Akron scored eight unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth inning against WMU to tie the game up at eight.Â
- The Zips held a lead in game one against WMU for six innings.Â
- In the two games against Western Michigan, the two squads played a nine-inning game, decided game one in the seventh inning, and scored a combined 35 runs in two games.Â
- The Akron offense had five players in the lineup that tallied a multi-hit performance in game two including, Wulf, Jascoe, Rodriguez, Crews, and Mitchiner. The Zips top performer of the contest was Wulf who went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored.Â
- In game two against the Broncos, five players recorded an extra-base hit, eight notched a stolen base, and two tallied a sacrifice hit.
Up Next
Following four games at home at Lee Jackson Field over the last five days, the Akron softball team returns to the road and is set to begin a four-game road trip. The road swing begins with a three-game series at Toledo on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6. The Zips conclude their trip at Buffalo on Wednesday, April 10.
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