Akron Earns Doubleheader Split with Ohio

Wednesday, April 28

Akron, Ohio

12:00 PM

University of Akron

4-33, 3-20

Ohio

18-18, 14-13

Ohio

Akron

April 28 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

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GAME ONE BOXSCORE (PDF) | GAME TWO BOXSCORE (PDF) | POST-GAME COMMENTS

AKRON, Ohio - Sparked by a three-run home run from freshman P Olivia Stefanoni (Hudson, Ohio) and a grand slam off the bat of redshirt freshman C Laurel DeVoe (North Canton, Ohio), the University of Akron softball team earned a split of its Mid-American Conference doubleheader with Ohio (18-19, 14-14 MAC) on Wednesday, April 28 at Lee R. Jackson Field.

After falling in the opener, 8-2, the Zips (5-33, 4-20 MAC) bounced back to register a 7-3 triumph past the Bobcats in the nightcap.

Akron assumed a 3-0 lead in the second inning of game two on the strength of the first career home run from Stefanoni, who hammered a 3-2 offering over the fence in left field to drive in freshman 3B Kalli Macintosh-Houlder (Mississauga, Ontario) and redshirt freshman RF Tiffany Stevens (Toledo, Ohio).

Ohio pushed across a run in the fifth inning to cut into Akron's lead, 3-1.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Macintosh-Houlder, Stevens and Stefanoni collected back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases for DeVoe. Striking the big blow in the contest with her team-leading fifth home run of the season was DeVoe, who struck a 1-0 pitch over the wall in straight-away center field for a grand slam home run.

Stefanoni worked out of trouble in the circle in the top of the seventh as the Bobcats left the bases loaded after scoring a pair of runs to account for the 7-3 final.

Stefanoni finished 2-for-2 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored, while striking out four batters. Stevens added a 2-for-3 effort with two runs scored.

In the opener, the Zips freshman 2B Madison Dudek (Uniontown, Ohio) laced an RBI triple down the line in right field in the second inning to drive in Macintosh-Houlder to square the game at one.

After Ohio regained the lead in the top of the third inning, 2-1, the Bobcats hit a pair of Akron batter before walking Stevens to load the bases with two outs. Macintosh-Houlder became the third Zip to be hit by a pitch in the frame to collect an RBI.

Ohio took the lead for good with a three-run effort in the fourth before tallying one run in the sixth and two in the seventh to earn an 8-2 decision.

Senior 1B Jessie Holzman (Medina, Ohio) finished the affair 2-for-4 at the plate for Akron.

The Zips return to action on Friday, April 30, as the Zips open a four-game series at Western Michigan at 3 p.m.