Akron Denied Comeback As Buffalo Walks-Off For 6-5 Win

Wednesday, April 10

Buffalo, NY

2:00 PM

University of Akron

8-22-2, 0

Buffalo

7-23-1, 0

Akron

Buffalo

Akron Denied Comeback As Buffalo Walks-Off For 6-5 Win

April 10 | Softball

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BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Akron softball team was denied the chance at a come-from-behind win on Wednesday afternoon at Nan Harvey Field as Buffalo hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Bulls over the Zips, 6-5, in Mid-American Conference action.

As Akron headed into its final at-bats of the contest, the Zips trailed 5-1 and needed to score four runs to stay alive in the game. UA started chipping away at the lead one batter at a time as senior Jordan Crews (Waco, Ga.) and junior Macky Mitchiner (Riverside, Calif.) led off the top seventh with back-to-back singles. With runners now in scoring position, senior Laura Lakins (Akron, Ohio) lifted an RBI sacrifice fly to deep right field to bring home Crews. In the next at-bat, sophomore Lauren Holdsworth (Howell, Mich.) laced a line drive RBI single to centerfield to bring the Zips within two, 5-3. Then, just as she has done all year, redshirt sophomore Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.) came up with a big at-bat and tied the game up with her ninth home run of the season.

The Zips offensive rally would stop with the game tied at 5-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh before Buffalo walked it off for the 6-5 win.

Akron dropped to 8-22-2 overall on the season while standing 2-9 inside league play. Buffalo improved to 7-23-1 overall and owns a 4-3-1 mark in MAC play.

At the plate, the Akron offense posted nine hits in the contest including two in the second, two in the fourth, one in the fifth, and a team-best four in the seventh inning. Individually, Mitchiner went a perfect 3-for-3 and scored a run, while Jascoe recorded two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored to round out the Zips players with multi-hit performances. Crews, Holdsworth, junior Jessie Holzman (Medina, Ohio) and redshirt senior Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nev.) all pitched into the Zips hit total with one each.

Akron scored the first run of the game in the Zips first at-bats. Jascoe did all the damage for UA and gave Akron a 1-0 lead. The redshirt sophomore walked to lead off the game, was moved over on a sacrifice bunt, moved to third on a wild pitch, and on the same play darted home across the plate after the Buffalo catcher airmailed her throw into the outfield.

In the ensuing half inning, the Bulls Janelle Martinez handed UB a 2-1 lead after one swing of the bat with a home run to right center field.

Martinez doubled down in the home run category against the Zips, smacked her second home run of the game to up her RBI total to four runs, and extended the Bulls advantage to 4-1 after five innings of play.

Buffalo recorded its third home run of the afternoon in the sixth inning to grow its lead to 5-1 with a solo shot to right center field.

Akron returns home to Lee Jackson Field on the campus of The University of Akron to begin a three-game homestand with a visit from Ohio. The Zips and Bobcats are scheduled for a three-game Mid-American Conference series on April 12-13 as the two teams head into the final month of regular-season softball. UA and OU are set to play one contest on Friday, April 12, at 3 p.m., before closing the weekend out with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m.