Akron Faces Busy Week with Doubleheaders at Marshall and Youngstown State

Wednesday, March 3

Huntington, W.Va.

12:30 PM

University of Akron

Marshall

Akron Faces Busy Week with Doubleheaders at Marshall and Youngstown State

March 02 | Softball

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AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron women's softball squad continues its campaign this week with a trio of doubleheaders. The Zips will travel to Huntington, W.Va., to battle Marshall in a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 3, before visiting Youngstown State for a pair of twinbills on Friday, March 5 and Sunday, March 7.

Huntington, W.Va. | Dot Hicks Field

March 3 at Marshall | 12:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream | Listen
March 3 at Marshall | 2:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream | Listen

Youngstown, Ohio | YSU Softball Complex

March 5 at Youngstown State | 2 p.m. | Live Stats
March 5 at Youngstown State | 4 p.m. | Live Stats
March 7 at Youngstown State | 1 p.m. | Live Stats
March 7 at Youngstown State | 3 p.m. | Live Stats

WHAT'S AHEAD:
The University of Akron softball squad will travel to Huntington, W.Va., to battle Marshall in a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 3. Game one against the Thundering Herd is set for 12:30 p.m., with the nightcap to follow at 2:30 p.m. The Zips then make their 2021 debut in Ohio squaring off against Youngstown State on Friday, March 5, and Sunday, March 7. A pair of doubleheaders each day will include games at 2 and 4 p.m. on Friday, and 1 and 3 p.m. on Sunday.

SCOUTING AKRON:
Akron is in its 44th season of intercollegiate competition in 2021. Under the direction of second-year head coach Meaggan Pettipiece, the Zips return 16 players from the Zips' 2020 squad and have added 12 newcomers to the 2021 roster.

After being named head coach in July 2019, Pettipiece has led Akron to a 7-20 ledger in her second season.

Redshirt freshman OF Molly McChesney (Verona, Wis.) went 5-for-6 in Akron's season-opening doubleheader on Feb. 26 to lead the Zips with an .833 average. She owns team-high marks in hits (5), at-bats (6), total bases (5), slugging percentage (.833), on-base percentage (.833) and stolen bases (2-for-2).

Freshman INF Carley Auten (Pickerington, Ohio) also turned in a solid start to the season for the Zips going 2-for-3 in Akron's 3-1 victory past Delaware State.

Freshman P Sheridon Wilber (Rock Creek, Ohio) tossed a complete-game shutout to help spark Akron to a 3-1 victory over Delaware State in game two on Feb. 26. She allowed only five hits, struck out three batters, and didn't allow a runner past second base to notch her first collegiate win.

In the season opener, freshman P Olivia Stefanoni (Hudson, Ohio) turned in a dominating 5.0 innings in the circle striking out 11 and allowing only three hits.

The Zips return four of their top-six hitters from a year ago in redshirt freshman OF Tiffany Stevens (Toledo, Ohio), redshirt junior INF Sydney Jascoe (Commerce, Mich.) and seniors INF/OF Jessie Holzman (Medina, Ohio) and OF Madison Carter (Newnan, Ga.).

Stevens in Akron's top-returning hitter after batting .315 a season ago, with 17 hits in 54 at-bats, with eight RBI, six runs scored, five doubles and a pair of home runs. She boasted a .519 slugging percentage and .373 on-base mark.

Jascoe batted .300 en route to belting a team-high seven home runs, while also leading the Zips in RBI (21), and runs scored (16), while ranking second in hits (21) and total bases (46). Her .657 slugging and .388 on-base percentages are tops among returners this season.

Holzman finished the season with a .297 average recording 11 hits in 37 at-bats, four extra-base hits, while scoring eight runs and plating eight RBI.

Carter registered a .286 average on the strength of 12 hits in 42 at-bats, including three extra-base hits, and finished the campaign with eight runs scored and four RBI.

Jascoe was one of two returning Zips to start all 25 games in 2020, while senior OF Macky Mitchiner (Riverside, Calif.), who posted 12 hits, including five for extra bases, while ranking second on the squad with 11 RBI, started all 23 games in which she played.

Inside the circle, redshirt sophomore Lexie Petrof (Ligonier, Pa.) appeared in 16 games for the Zips, including 10 starts, going 55.1 innings and striking out 19 to maintain a 5.44 ERA. Redshirt junior Alexa DiFeo (Akron, Ohio) made five starts as part of nine overall appearances on the mound for the Zips, fanning 10 in 18.2 innings of work en route to owning a 5.25 ERA. Additionally, redshirt sophomore Lauren Frigyes (Paris, Ohio) worked 12.2 innings of relief, in which she struck out six and tallied a 10.50 ERA.

Joining the Zips roster in 2020 are 12 newcomers; freshmen UTIL Anna Aquino (Medina, Ohio), Auten, INF Madison Dudek (Uniontown, Ohio), INF Hannah Gartrell (York, Pa.), OF Kalli Macintosh-Houlder (Mississauga, Ontario), junior P Olivia Otani (Canton, Ohio), sophomores C Katelyn Reynolds (Cincinnati, Ohio) and C Teagan Rice (Louisville, Ohio) and freshmen UTIL Jillian Riegert (Worthington, Ohio), Stefanoni, INF Atlantis Taufa (Fullerton, Calif.) and Wilber.

SCOUTING MARSHALL:
Marshall will be making its 2021 debut when it takes the diamond against Akron on Wednesday, March 3. The Thundering Herd registered a 18-7 record a season ago. Marshall returns their leading two batters to their line-up in 2021 led by senior INF Saige Pye, who batted .463 with 37 hits in 80 at-bats a season ago. She is joined by senior INF Aly Harrell, who registered a .441 average in 2020. Pye belted eight home runs, while driving in 28 RBI. The Thundering Herd will benefit from the return of its top-two pitchers in sophomore Ashley Blessin and senior Laney Jones, who twirled a 3.45 and 3.62 ERA's in 46.2 and 67.2 innings of work, respectively, striking out a combined 95.

SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN STATE:
Youngstown State is off to a 2-2 start after a series split of its four-game set at Norfolk State this past weekend. The Penguins recorded an 8-7 ledger a year ago. Freshman UTIL Hailey Niederkohr and sophomore OF Grace Cea directed Youngstown State's offensive attack batting .333 and .308, respectively. Junior OF Yzamine Romero owns team-high marks in hits (4), at-bats (16), while senior P/INF Maddi Lusk paces the squad in RBI (4) and total bases (7). In the circle, three Penguins have tossed 8.0 innings or more in Lusk, junior P Elle Buffenbarger and freshman P Sophie Howell. The trio has posted 0.00, 2.62 and 5.60 ERA's, respectively.

SERIES HISTORY:
Akron is set to meet Marshall for the 37th and 38th times, respectively, in program history, with the Zips leading the series, 20-16. A year ago, the Thundering Herd registered a pair of victories over Akron on March 4, 2020.

The Zips will square off against Youngstown State for the 82-85th times in program history with Akron leading the all-time series 51-29-1. The two teams last met during the 2019 campaign when the Penguins swept a doubleheader from the Zips on March 26, 2019.

AKRON NOTES:
• The Zips have been a member of the Mid-American Conference for the past 27 years after joining the league in 1993 from the North Star Conference.
• Akron's softball roster in 2021 is compiled of 28 student-athletes from all across the United States with eight different states and one Canadian Province represented. The Zips roster consists of 16 players from Ohio, three from Michigan, two from California and Pennsylvania, one from Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Ontario and Wisconsin.
• The 2020 season marks the 44th season of intercollegiate competition for the Akron softball program.

UP NEXT:
Akron is scheduled to travel to Johnson City, Tenn., to compete at the East Tennessee State Tournament, March 13-14. The Zips will battle the host Buccaneers, as well as Bradley in the four-game event.