The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Saint Francis University
Softball Gears Up for Clemson Classic
February 24 | Softball
AKRON, Ohio- The Akron Zips softball team is back in action as they travel down to South Carolina for the Clemson Classic on Feb. 25-26. The Zips will face Saint Francis, Boston University, and No. 14 Clemson. The final game of the weekend will be determined based on seeding.
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GAME INFORMATION
- Game 1: Akron vs. Saint Francis – Friday, Feb. 25; 10 AM ( Watch | Live Stats )
- Game 2: Akron vs. Boston University – Friday, Feb. 25; 1230 PM ( Live Stats )
- Game 3: Akron vs. No. 14 Clemson – Saturday, Feb. 26; 1230 PM (Watch |Live Stats )
- Game 4: 4 Seed vs. 3 Seed – Saturday, Feb. 26; 330 PM
- Game 5: 2 Seed vs. 1 Seed– Saturday, Feb. 26; 6 PM
SCOUTING AKRON
Akron enters its 45th season of intercollegiate competition in 2022. Under the direction of third-year head coach Meaggan Pettipiece, the Zips return 18 players from the Zips' 2021 squad and have added eight newcomers to the 2022 roster.
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The Zips finished last season with an 8-46 overall record and 7-33 in conference play.
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Akron returns  two of their top-four hitter from a year ago in sophomore OF Molly McChesney (Verona, Wis.) who led the offensive exploits last season batting a team-best .260 on the strength of team-high marks in hits (26), runs (17) and stolen bases (15), while ranking second in triples (1). Sophomore Tiffany Stevens (Toledo, Ohio) led the team with nine doubles, while sophomore Laurel DeVoe (North Canton, Ohio) owned a team-best six home runs.
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The Zips return a A trio of Akron pitchers have tossed 50 or more innings in the circle, including 98.1, 87.1 and 84.2innings, respectively, from sophomore P Olivia Stefanoni (Hudson, Ohio), senior P Olivia Otani (Canton, Ohio) and redshirt junior Lexie Petrof (Ligonier, Pa.). Stefanoni, Petrof and Otani earned 101, 59 and 47 strikeouts, respectively.
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Joining the roster in 2022 are eight newcomers; freshman OF Leea Ibarra (Findlay, Ohio), OF Angela Cirone (Louisville, Ohio), INF Lexi Campbell (Indianapolis, Ind.), OF Autumn Bailey (Ashland, Ohio), P  Emily Farlin (Stanton, Calif.), INF McKenzie Cornwell (Amherst, Ohio), C/OF Megan Cotton (Sammamish, Wash.), and P Elizabeth Frederick (Williamsburg, Pa.).
LAST TIME OUT
The Zips enter the Clemson Classic with an 0-5 record after they went winless at the Northern Lights/Southern Lights Tournament. They were outscored 34-6 in the tournament and shutout twice. McChesney and Kalli Macintosh-Houlder (Mississauga, Ont.) lead Akron with a .286 batting average each. McChesney also leads the team with two runs scored. In 6.2 innings pitched, Alexa DiFeo (Akron, Ohio)leads the team with a 2.10 ERA, which is seventh in the MAC, and is second in the conference with a .136 batting average against. Â
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SCOUTING SAINT FRANCIS
The Red Flash had a 2-3 record at the Furman Tournament as they split series with Furman and South Dakota and lost their only game against Georgetown. Saint Francis ended the weekend with a 6-5 win over South Dakota, who is 8-2. Lindsay Ward hit a seventh-inning two-run home run that put the Red Flash up 6-3 before their eventual one-run victory over South Dakota. The Red Flash were close in every game, as their largest margin of defeat was 3-0. They outscored opponents 23-22 during the three-day tournament.
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Jordan Pietrzykoski leads the team with a .394 batting average, .487 on-base percentage, 10 runs scored and four steals. She was named an NEC Prime Performer for the first time in her career. Rachel Marsden earned NEC Pitcher of the Week with her 4-1 record, 2.65 ERA and 32 strikeouts through 39.2 innings. Her four wins are tied for 13th in the NCAA Division I.
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SCOUTING BOSTON UNIVERSITY
The Terriers enter the weekend with a 3-6 record after they went 0-4 to start the season at the Green & Gold Classic, followed by a 3-2 weekend at the Red & Black Showcase. They had a notable 6-1 defeat of then-No. 13 Georgia on Feb. 18. Kayla Roncin leads qualified Terriers' hitters with a .310 batting average, four doubles and two triples. Nicole Amodio had a team-leading three home runs, seven RBIs and .433 on-base percentage. Lizzy Avery leads the team with 31.2 innings pitched and carries a 3.54 ERA with 26 strikeouts and 20 walks. Allison Boaz leads the Terriers with a 2.25 ERA and two wins in 18.2 innings pitched.
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SCOUTING CLEMSON
The Tigers enter the weekend ranked No. 14 with a 7-3 record. They are 1-2 against current ranked teams, with their only victory a 2-0 defeat of No. 5 Washington on Feb. 20. Valerie Cagle leads Clemson with a .394 batting average, six runs scored, three home runs and 10 RBIs. Cagle has the most innings pitched with 31 and carries a 1.81 ERA with 42 strikeouts, which ranks 24th in the NCA Division I. Cammy Pereira is tied with Cagle for the team-lead with six runs scored and is second with a .357 batting average. Millie Thompson and Brooke McCubbin have 14.2 innings pitched each and carry a 0.95 and 1.43 ERA, respectively. The Tigers' pitching staff is 20th in the NCAA Division I with a 1.40 ERA.
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NEXT
Akron will return to action March 4-6 as the Zips travel to Buies Creek, NC to compete in the Campbell Invitational.
