Akron Faces Challenging Week Hosting Ohio Before Visiting Western Michigan

Wednesday, April 28

Akron, Ohio

12:00 PM

University of Akron

Ohio

Akron Faces Challenging Week Hosting Ohio Before Visiting Western Michigan

April 27 | Softball

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AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron women's softball squad faces another busy week as the Zips host Ohio on Wednesday, April 28, before opening a four-game series at Western Michigan on Friday, April 30.

Ohio | Lee R. Jackson Field

April 28 at Ohio | 12 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream
April 28 at Ohio | 2 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream

Western Michigan | Ebert Field

April 30 at Western Michigan | 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream
May 1 at Western Michigan | 1 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream
May 1 at Western Michigan | 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream
May 2 at Western Michigan | 12 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream

WHAT'S AHEAD:
The University of Akron softball squad will open its week hosting Ohio in a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 28. The Zips and Bobcats will play the second half of a home-and-home series this season at Lee R. Jackson Field starting at noon. The Zips then open their series versus the Broncos with a 3 p.m. tilt on Friday, April 30. Akron and Western Michigan will battle in a doubleheader on Saturday, May 1 starting at 1 p.m., before the series concludes with a 12 p.m. game on Sunday, May 2.

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 returned 16 players from the Zips' 2020 squad and have added 12 newcomers to the 2021 roster.

Redshirt freshman OF Molly McChesney (Verona, Wis.) leads the offensive exploits for the Zips this season batting a team-best .282 on the strength of team-high marks in hits (24), runs (14), triples (1) and stolen bases (11), while ranking second in at-bats (85). Additionally, redshirt freshman C Laurel DeVoe (North Canton, Ohio) owns a team-best four home runs.

McChesney ranks sixth in the Mid-American Conference in stolen bases with 11, while freshman INF Madison Dudek (Uniontown, Ohio) and McChesney are rated fifth and seventh in the league in sacrifice bunts with five and four, respectively.

A trio of Akron pitchers have tossed 50 or more innings in the circle, including 65.0, 55.2 and 53.1 innings, respectively, from freshman P Olivia Stefanoni (Hudson, Ohio), junior P Olivia Otani (Canton, Ohio) and redshirt sophomore Lexie Petrof (Ligonier, Pa.). Stefanoni, Petrof and Otani have earned 75, 38 and 36 strikeouts, respectively.

SCOUTING OHIO:
Ohio enters play against Akron at 17-18 on the year, including a 13-13 mark in the Mid-American Conference. Senior OF Allie Englant owns team-best .385 batting average and paces the Bobcats in at-bats (122), runs (22), hits (47) and stolen bases (25). In the circle, senior P Madi McCrady and junior P Makenzie Kohl maintain 4.36 and 4.58 ERA's, having tossed 98.0 and 102.0 innings, respectively, en route to combining to strike out 121 batters.

SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN:
Western Michigan enters play this week at 10-20 on the year, including a 6-10 mark in the Mid-American Conference. Senior INF/P Sydney Stefanick owns a team-best .378 batting average and paces the Broncos in RBI (23) and slugging percentage (.594), while senior OF Mackenzie Swinehart leads Western Michigan in runs (28), hits (35), home runs (5), total bases (57) and slugging percentage (.594). In the circle, senior P Reily Galloway owns a team-best 4.89 ERA having tossed 68.2 innings and striking out 58.

SERIES HISTORY:
Akron is set to meet Ohio for the 95th and 96th times, respectively, in program history, with the Zips leading the series, 62-32. A week ago, the Bobcats swept a doubleheader from Akron, 9-1 and 7-1, in Athens, Ohio. The Zips trail the all-time series with Western Michigan, 33-21. In 2019, the Broncos took a twinbill from Akron on March 29, 2019 at Lee R. Jackson Field.

A WEEK AGO:
In the first of a home-and-home Mid-American Conference series, Ohio edged Akron, 9-1 and 7-1, respectively, in doubleheader action on Tuesday, April 20.

In the opener, the Bobcats assumed a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning before sealing the victory pushing across four runs in their final at-bat.

Molly McChesney led the Zips at the plate going 2-for-3.

Akron garnered its run in the fourth inning as redshirt freshman SS Jaiden Bryant (Hilliard, Ohio) and Laurel DeVoe opened the frame with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Following a flyout, DeVoe stole second base to move a pair of Zips into scoring position. A sacrifice fly by redshirt freshman LF Tiffany Stevens garnered an RBI driving in Bryant.

In the nightcap, Akron loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first inning, but the Zips were unable to push across a two-out base hit.

The Bobcats took an early 2-0 lead before Stevens cut the Zips' deficit to 2-1 in the top of the second inning belting her first home run of the season to left field.

Ohio added two-run frames in both the second and fourth innings en route to securing a 7-1 triumph.

In its series opener at Northern Illinois on Friday, April 23, a four-run sixth inning propelled Akron to a come-from-behind 4-3 road triumph past Northern Illinois at Mary M. Bell Field.

The Zips parlayed the late offensive surge led by a 2-for-3 effort on the day from Stevens along with strong pitching from Lexie Petrof and Olivia Otani to capture the series opener.

The Huskies scored the game's first run with a single tally in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Akron responded in its ensuing at-bat as Madison Dudek led off the sixth inning with a single up the middle. DeVoe followed with a one-out single before advancing all the way to third base on an error by Northern Illinois, a miscue that plated Dudek with the game-tying run.

A sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of Bryant put the Zips ahead for good, 2-1. Stevens followed with a single to center field before senior SS Samantha Malik (Orlando, Fla.) walked. Freshman Kalli Macintosh-Houlder (Mississauga, Ont.) delivered in the clutch with a pinch-hit two-run single. The two RBI were the first of her collegiate career and gave Akron a 4-1 lead.

A two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning allowed the Huskies to cut their deficit to one, 4-3.

Otani culminated the victory for the Zips inducing three straight groundouts to Bryant to earn her second save of the season, while Petrof posted the win in the circle.

Northern Illinois registered 6-3 and 7-0 triumphs over Akron on Saturday, April 24.

In the opener, the Huskies scored single tallies in the second and third innings before the Zips rallied for three runs in the top of the sixth inning.

Back-to-back singles to open the frame from Dudek and senior 1B Jessie Holzman (Medina, Ohio) set the table for an RBI two-run double off the bat of DeVoe to square the contest at two.

After freshman Carley Auten (Pickerington, Ohio) pinch ran for DeVoe, she advanced to third base before registering a steal of home to give Akron a 3-2 lead.

Northern Illinois responded with four runs in its half of the inning to secure a 6-3 victory.

DeVoe finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI.

In game two, the Huskies parlayed a five-run second inning into a 7-0 triumph over Akron.

Malik collected a single in the affair, while Macintosh-Houlder delivered a lead-off double in the fifth inning.

In the series finale, Akron dropped an 8-4 decision on Sunday, April 25.

The Zips took the early lead in the contest scoring singles tallies in the first and third innings.

A sacrifice fly off the bat of DeVoe drove in McChesney with Akron's first run of the game in the first inning.

Bryant scored Akron's second tally off an error on the Huskies' infielder in the top of the third inning.

The Huskies responded squaring the game with a pair of runs in their half of the inning.

The Zips regained the advantage in the top of the fourth, 3-2, plating a run on an RBI single from Malik.

Northern Illinois went back ahead to stay with a three-run effort in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Trailing 5-3, Akron cut its deficit to one, 5-4, on an RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Holzman in the top of the fifth inning.

The Huskies capped the scoring with three runs in their final at-bat to secure the win.

A UNIQUE HONOR:
The Zips were honored this week by the NCAA as their sixth-inning inning-ending double play against Marshall in game one on March 3 was recognized as the No. 2 play in the Top-Five Plays of the Week by NCAA Softball. With one out in the bottom of the frame and a runner on first base, a hard-hit liner was snared by a diving Samantha Malik, who got to her feet and fired to Jessie Holzman to double up the runner at first base. WATCH HERE

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 host Kent State in a doubleheader on Tuesday, May 4 at Lee R. Jackson Field.