The University of Akron Athletics
Friday, March 31
Akron, Ohio
3 PM
University of Akron
12-13, 0
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Ball State
18-7, 0
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9
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H
E
Ball State
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AKRON
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4
6
0
Zips Snap Ball State Win Streak, Tortorella Hurls Complete Game Shutout
March 31 | Baseball
AKRON, Ohio –The Akron baseball team scored four runs and received a complete-game shutout win from starting pitcher Sammy Tortorella (Pittsburgh, Pa.) en route to snapping the top-rated Ball State Cardinals nine-game winning streak at Skeeles Field on Friday.
Tortorella hurled five no-hit innings and held Ball State (18-7, 8-2 MAC) scoreless while relinquishing only four hits in the game. He faced 32 batters and recorded 10 strikeouts with no walks and one hit batsman.
Offensively, Akron (12-13, 5-5 MAC) scattered six hits as junior IF DJ Butler (Chicago, Ill.) registered three of those hits in four at bats. Butler drove-in the Zips' first run in the second inning with an infield single to third base. He followed with a lead-off homerun in the seventh inning that sparked a three-run rally and recorded the Zips' first two RBI. Butler added a single in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Sophomore OF Ian Pennington (Springboro, Ohio) plated the Zips third run on a hit-and-run double to right centerfield in the seventh, scoring graduate IF Nick Arrivo (Ann Arbor, Mich.) – who reached on a hit-by-pitch.
Akron's final run in the seventh inning was a result of a sacrifice flyout by junior IF Kaito Hara (Houston, Texas) to score Pennington. Junior OF Sam Seeker (Norton, Ohio) collected two hits in four at bats with a stolen base in the win.
Up Next
The Zips continue the three-game series against Ball State on Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m. Fans can follow the action live on Zips Digital Network or via live stats on GoZips.com.
Tortorella hurled five no-hit innings and held Ball State (18-7, 8-2 MAC) scoreless while relinquishing only four hits in the game. He faced 32 batters and recorded 10 strikeouts with no walks and one hit batsman.
Offensively, Akron (12-13, 5-5 MAC) scattered six hits as junior IF DJ Butler (Chicago, Ill.) registered three of those hits in four at bats. Butler drove-in the Zips' first run in the second inning with an infield single to third base. He followed with a lead-off homerun in the seventh inning that sparked a three-run rally and recorded the Zips' first two RBI. Butler added a single in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Sophomore OF Ian Pennington (Springboro, Ohio) plated the Zips third run on a hit-and-run double to right centerfield in the seventh, scoring graduate IF Nick Arrivo (Ann Arbor, Mich.) – who reached on a hit-by-pitch.
Akron's final run in the seventh inning was a result of a sacrifice flyout by junior IF Kaito Hara (Houston, Texas) to score Pennington. Junior OF Sam Seeker (Norton, Ohio) collected two hits in four at bats with a stolen base in the win.
Up Next
The Zips continue the three-game series against Ball State on Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m. Fans can follow the action live on Zips Digital Network or via live stats on GoZips.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tortorella, Sammy (0-0)
L: Trennor O'Donnell (0-0)
Base Running:
SB: Decker Scheffler 1 ; Justin Conant 1
HBP: Hunter Dobbins 1
Batting:
2B: Pennington, Ian 1
HR: Butler, DJ 1
RBI: Pennington, Ian 1 ; Hara, Kaito 1 ; Butler, DJ 2
SF: Hara, Kaito 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Arrivo, Nick 1 ; Pennington, Ian 1 ; Bowman, Max 1 ; Butler, DJ 1
SB: Seeker, Sam 1 ; Butler, DJ 1
HBP: Arrivo, Nick 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballOF/1B
/ Baseball
LHP
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