Sunday’s Scoreboard
Toledo 2, North Dakota 6
Northern Illinois 1, Indiana State 4
Western Michigan 9, Tennessee 7
Kent State 9, Howard 1
Ohio 2, UAB 7
Ball State 8, Pine Bluff 2
Miami 0, Omaha 8
Buffalo 0, Alabama 3
Ohio 3, Georgia Tech 5
Akron 8, Samford 9
Stories Courtesy Of MAC Sports Information
Toledo 2, North Dakota 6
Box Score
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Toledo softball team fell 6-2 to North Dakota on the final day of the HEB Classic in San Antonio on Sunday. Freshman McKenna Schmidt earned her first start in the Midnight Blue and Gold, striking out two batters in seven innings pitched.
"McKenna threw a solid game for her first start of her career," said second-year head coach Joe Abraham. "She pitched out of some jams and gave us a shot to win. We have to get better defensively. We had too many poor throws and uncaught fly balls over the weekend. We did have some players hit the ball well this weekend, especially at the top of the order. That was a great sign, and I can't wait to see how we progress."
Toledo finished the tournament with a 2-3 record.
Northern Illinois 1, Indiana State 4
Box Score
BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Northern Illinois University softball team closed out play in the FAU First Pitch Classic falling to Indiana State, 4-1, on Sunday morning at FAU Stadium.
The Huskies (1-4) jumped out to an early lead against the Sycamores, but could not hang on as the fifth and sixth innings proved key in the contest.
NIU started things off in the first inning when Anne Allen doubled to left center field and then came around to score on an RBI double by the Huskies' clean-up hitter Kayla Scaperrotta.
Huskies starting pitcher Delaney Ostrowski got off to a great start retiring the first six batters of the game. She got great help from her defense in the bottom of the first when Mackenzie Mahy and Megan Guericke teamed up to throw out a would be threat at second base after singling with two outs. However, Ostrowski ran into a bit of trouble when Cassie Thomerson sent a solo home run out to center field.
Western Michigan 9, Tennessee 7
Box Score
TEMPE, Ariz. - The Western Michigan softball team dropped a 13-6 decision to Tennessee on Sunday in the Broncos' final game at the Kajikawa Classic. WMU battled through four innings against the 12th-ranked Volunteers, racking up 12 hits, including back-to-back innings with two runs off four hits.
The contest will not be counted as an official game because NCAA ruling requires the umpire "to declare 'no game' if play is terminated before each team has completed five innings, or if a halted game of less than five innings is not resumed." The teams were still in the bottom of the fourth, but halted at 1:30 p.m. to accommodate Western Michigan's travel schedule for the return to Michigan.
Mackenzie Swinehart, Sydney Stefanick and Cari Padula led the Bronco offensive charge with three hits each. Swinehart went three-for-three at the plate, making her way around the bases three times. Padula likewise went three-for-three with a career-high four runs batted in. Stefanick totaled three hits and made an appearance in the circle. Kaylen Glenfield and starting pitcher Reilly Galloway each collected a hit, Galloway with a solo home run in the second inning.
Kent State 9, Howard 1
Box Score
ATHENS, Ga. – Kent State capped opening weekend with a 9-1 six-inning victory over Howard on Sunday at the Red & Black Showcase.
The Golden Flashes (3-1) pounded out 15 hits on the day. Freshman Morgan Bowers, who made her first collegiate start, led the way with a 4-for-4 performance that included a home run and two RBIs. Seniors Kellie Abeska and Maria Cegledy and juniors Brenna Brownfield and Kennadie Goth all collected two hits.
Kent State scored in its first trip to the plate for the fourth time in as many games. Following a single by Goth, Brownfield homered for the third game in a row to a 2-0 lead.
Ball State 8, Pine Bluff 2
Box Score
LAFAYETTE, La. - - After starting the first two games of the season, Ball State softball senior pitcher Alyssa Rothwell entered Sunday's 8-2 (6) victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a more familiar place; a key situation late in the game.
The Golden Lions (0-5) had just scored the first two runs of the weekend finale with two outs in the third, and had the Cardinals (2-3) on the ropes with bases load.
Much as she has done throughout her career, Rothwell entered the circle and did not waiver; striking out the first batter she faced on four pitches to limit the damage to two runs. She controlled the UAPB offense from there, striking out eight of the 12 batters she faced to pick up her first win of the season.
After being limited to two hits over the first three innings, the Ball State offense started to find its grove in the fourth, beginning with a one-out single by senior first baseman Janae Hogg. With sophomore pinch runner Becca Clanton at first, sophomore right fielder Trinity Eckerty came up with BSU's first big hit of the game, blasting a single off the wall in right field.
The play moved Clanton to third, while Eckerty advance an extra base on the throw. In the next at bat, junior catcher Delanie Johnson cut the UAPB lead in half with the first RBI of her Ball State career on a sac fly to right field.
After Rothwell retired Arkansas-Pine Bluff in order in the top of the fifth, the floodgates opened, and the Ball State offense produced its biggest inning of the young season with seven runs. Freshman center fielder Shelby Westbrook started the rally with her first collegiate hit, and after stealing second, scored the tying run on an RBI double from sophomore second baseman Amaia Daniel.
Junior third baseman Stacy Payton followed with her second home run of the season, a two-run blast to left field to push across what proved to be the game-winning run. After a double from senior left fielder Haley Dominique, the Cardinals used a combination of passed balls, wild pitches and bases-loaded walks to score the final four runs of the game.
Miami 0, Omaha 8
Box Score
ROSEMONT, ILL. – The Miami University softball team (3-2) was shutout in five innings against Omaha to wrap up play at the Rambler Rumble on Sunday.
Taylor Rathe began the game in the circle for the RedHawks, though all three Miami pitchers saw time.
Allie Cummins hit a two-out ground-rule double in the top of the first inning but was stranded at second.
Omaha put up three runs in the bottom of the first on a lead-off walk and back-to-back home runs before Brianna Pratt came into the game in relief of Rathe to finish off the inning.
Buffalo 0, Alabama 3
Box Score
Hammond, LA – The University at Buffalo softball team fell to Alabama State 3-0 in the final game of the Lion Classic on Sunday.
Alabama State would get on the board in the top of the second, scoring two runs on two hits to take an early 2-0 lead.
The Bulls drew back-to-back walks in the bottom of the third but were unable to capitalize.
The Hornets threatened again in the top of the fifth, but Madelyn Hickingbottom, on in relief for starter Alexis Lucyshyn, escaped the jam to keep the Bulls within striking distance.
The UB offense would continue to struggle as the Bulls were retired in order in the fifth and sixth innings and that would prove costly as Alabama State added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on an RBI double to go up 3-0 and that would be the final.
Ohio 3, Georgia Tech 5
Ohio 2, UAB 7
Box Score I
Box Score
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Ohio softball team (0-5) wrapped up play at the 2020 Buzz Classic hosted by Georgia Tech this afternoon. The Bobcats dropped their first game of the day to UAB (3-1), 7-2, before falling to host Georgia Tech (1-3), 5-3, in their final game of the weekend.
Akron 8, Samford 9
Box Score
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The first weekend of the 2020 Akron softball season has come and gone as the Zips close out the Samford Tournament with a 9-8 loss to tournament host Samford on Sunday afternoon at the Samford Softball Field.
"After one weekend of play we have learned a lot about what we have and what we need to work on," said head coach Meaggan Pettipiece. "That's what we needed out of it to keep moving in the right direction."
While the Zips fell to 1-4 on the season after five games, a powerful Akron offense was evident in Alabama as UA recorded 35 runs and knocked out 50 hits throughout the weekend.
