MAC Softball Sweeps Tuesday Non-conference Matchups
Tuesday's Scoreboard
Ball State 3, Butler 2
Akron 12, Robert Morris 3
Akron 5, Robert Morris 3
Bowling Green 10, Wright State 4
Bowling Green 4, Wright State 2
Stories Courtesy of MAC Sports Information
Ball State 3, Butler 2
Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind.- - It was truly a team effort which helped the Ball State softball team close the home portion of its 2019 season with a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over in-state rival Butler Tuesday afternoon at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
In all, 21 different Cardinals (31-16) saw action, including all five pitchers and 16 of the team's 17 active position players.
After the Bulldogs (15-28) jumped on the scoreboard with a run in the top of the first inning, Ball State looked poised to answer in a big way, loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning thanks to an error and back-to-back walks.
However, the Cardinals could only manage one run as sophomore right fielder Kendall Fields drew a third straight walk to even the score at 1-1.
Butler went on to take a 2-1 lead with another run in the top of the third and looked poised to close out the game as their starting pitcher limited the Cardinals to one hit while striking out 10 of the first 24 batters she faced.
Ball State's bench would come up big, however, after a walk to junior second baseman Gabby Magnifico set up yet another clutch at bat from freshman Amaia Daniel. This time it was a one-out, two-run, pinch hit home run to dead center field that drove in what proved to be the game-winning run.
It was Daniel's fourth home run of the season and her 20th hit in the last 20 games. Overall, Daniel has had a hit in 16 of BSU's last 20 games, while reaching base safely in 18 of the last 20 games.
In the circle, junior closer Alyssa Rothwell was credited with the win, after retiring all three batters she faced in the top of the sixth inning. It's Rothwell's fourth win (4-0) of the season to go along with her NCAA-leading 12 saves.
Senior Aeshia Miles picked up the save, her first of the season and the third of her career, after retiring three of the five batters she faced, including a strikeout to end the game.
Redshirt junior Darcie Huber threw the first two innings, allowing three hits and a run. Freshman Sarah Venker entered for the third and fourth innings, striking out five of the 11 batters she faced, while yielding two hits and a run.
The fifth inning belonged to freshman Tieghan Morio, as she retired three of the five batters she faced, allowing just one hit and a walk.
Aside from Daniel's home run, Ball State's other two hits came from junior left fielder Kennedy Wynn and freshman pinch hitter Mackenzie McCarty. The Cardinals also drew six walks, with two coming from Fields.
Akron 5, Robert Morris 3
Akron 12, Robert Morris 3
Box Score
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio – For the final time at Lee Jackson Field in the 2019 Akron softball campaign, the Zips swept visiting Robert Morris, 5-3 and 12-3, in the last non-conference matchup of the regular season Tuesday afternoon on the campus of The University of Akron.
Heading into the final five games of 2019, Akron improved to 12-27-2 on the year and earned its second series sweep of the season, including back-to-back non-conference series sweeps. Robert Morris fell to 13-32.
Inside the circle, junior Adrian Smith (St. Clairsville, Ohio) and sophomore Mikayla Newland (Chillicothe, Ohio) each tossed complete games en route to their eighth and first wins of the season, respectively. In game one, Smith threw her team-leading ninth complete game, gave up three runs on 10 hits, struck out five, and walked just three. In the nightcap, Newland went 5.0 innings for her first complete game of 2019, gave up eight hits, surrendered three runs, struck out a day-high six batters, and walked just one.
The Akron offense amassed 20 hits combined on the afternoon, including eight in game one and 12 in game two. Sophomore Lauren Holdsworth (Howell, Mich.) was the Zips top hitter in game one with a team-high two hits and an RBI while senior Laura Lakins (Akron, Ohio) drove in a team-best two RBI. In the following game, senior Maddy Clowdus(Eastvale, Calif.) had her best day at the plate in 2019 with three hits, one RBI, and two runs scored. Redshirt senior Kimberly Rodriguez (Las Vegas, Nev.) was one of the top run producers in the contest with three runs scored on two hits which included a home run and two RBI double. Junior Macky Mitchiner (Riverside, Calif.) rounded out the multi-hit performers in the Akron lineup with two hits and three RBI.
Akron got out to a 3-0 lead in the first contest by way of an error by the Colonials right fielder, an RBI single by Lakins, and an RBI single through the left side of the infield off the bat of Holdsworth.
After RMU cut its deficit back to two runs (3-1), the Zips answered right back to reclaim a 4-1 advantage. With the bases loaded, Lakins was handed her second RBI of the with a walk.
The Zips added an insurance run in the fourth inning when Rodriguez launched a solo home run in the to left field, her sixth four-bagger of the season.
The Colonials scored a run in each the sixth and seventh inning to attempt a late-game comeback but was denied by Smith and the Akron defense.
Akron's bats came alive in the second contest of the afternoon en route to a 12-3 win for Akron in five innings due to the NCAA run rule.
Unlike game one, Robert Morris scored the first run of the game with a solo home run. Akron immediately answered to register its first lead of the game, 2-1, when Rodriguez lifted a two-RBI double to the fence in right centerfield.
In a back-and-forth contest, the Colonials struck for two more runs in the top of the third and reclaim the lead, now 3-2.
The Zips offense took over from there posting nine runs in the bottom of the third. Akron reached safely in 12 straight at-bats in the inning with the first two outs coming on the base path. The Zips nine runs came courtesy of six hits, two errors, and eight RBI.
Akron added an insurance run in the fourth inning to increase its lead to +9 after an RBI single up the middle off the bat of Mitchiner.
RMU threatened to keep the game alive in the top of the fifth but Akron closed the door on the game and the 2019 home season with a double play.
Bowling Green vs Wright State
Box Score
Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- The Bowling Green State University softball team began the sixth inning with seven-straight hits, scoring seven times in the frame en route to a 10-4 victory over Wright State University in game one of Tuesday afternoon's (April 23) doubleheader. Then, the Falcons used another sixth-inning rally to capture a 4-2 victory and a sweep of the twinbill vs. the Raiders.
All 11 Falcons who had an at-bat in the doubleheader recorded at least one hit, as BG banged out 20 hits as a team. Sophomore Payton Hamm led the way, reaching base five times in seven plate appearances. Hamm had four hits and a walk, and scored three runs in the two games.
Senior Alex Sorgi also scored three runs, and the leadoff hitter had three hits and stole two bases in the doubleheader.
In the circle, seniors Meredith Miller and Brooke Parker each picked up a complete-game win.
