Akron Falls to Central Michigan on Senior Day

Saturday, May 8

Akron, Ohio

1:00 PM

University of Akron

8-39, 7-26

Central Michigan

15-26, 13-18

Central Michigan

Akron

May 08 | Softball

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

AKRON, Ohio - On a day when the Akron softball team honored its four seniors in Madison Carter (Newnan, Ga.), Jessie Holzman (Medina, Ohio), Samantha Malik (Orlando, Fla.) and Macky Mitchiner (Riverside, Calif.), it was Central Michigan that escaped with a pair of Mid-American Conference triumphs on Saturday, May 8 at Lee R. Jackson Field.

In the opener, the Chippewas opened the scoring with a pair of runs in their first at-bat, before Holzman blasted a lead-off home run over the fence in center field to cut the Zips' deficit to 2-1.

Central Michigan added two runs in top of the third inning to extend its margin to 4-1. Akron fired back a salvo of its own squaring the contest at four plating a trio of runs in the bottom of the frame.

Holzman led off the inning with a double before redshirt sophomore Morgan Cadmus (Tecumseh, Mich.) pinch ran for her. Carter followed with a perfect bunt single to place runners on the corners. Mitchiner delivered an RBI single to extend the rally and set the stage for a two-run RBI triple to left center field by Malik.

The score remained tied at four heading into the bottom of the sixth inning where the Zips were poised to take the lead as Akron loaded the bases with one out. Unfortunately, the Zips were unable to push across the go-ahead tally.

Both sides placed runners in scoring position in the seventh, but neither team was able to take advantage.

The Chippewas registered the big blow in the game with a one-out home run in the top of the eighth inning to go ahead, 6-4.

Carter and Mitchiner delivered one-out singles in Akron's half of the frame, but it was not enough to garner the victory.

The Zips' seniors came up big in the game at the plate as Holzman finished a triple shy of the cycle, while Carter was 3-for-3. Mitchiner, freshman1B Atlantis Taufa (Fullerton, Calif.) and Malik added two and one hit, respectively, while junior P Olivia Otani (Canton, Ohio) struck out six over eight innings for Akron.

In game two, Central Michigan broke open a scoreless tilt with three runs in both the third and fourth innings en route to posting an 8-2 victory.

Carter opened the bottom of the fourth inning with a lead-off single before stealing second base. She came across with Akron's first run on a single by redshirt freshman CF Tiffany Stevens (Toledo, Ohio).

The Chippewas added single tallies in the fifth and seventh innings, before the Zips capped the scoring on an RBI double by redshirt freshman Jaiden Bryant (Hilliard, Ohio).

Mitchiner led Akron with a 3-for-3 effort, while Carter and Stevens added two hits each.

Akron is slated to battle rival Kent State in a doubleheader as part of the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge on Wednesday, May 12. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.