Sunday's Softball Results
Sunday Scoreboard
Akron 4, Syracuse 3
Ball State 4, Eastern
Ohio State 15, Buffalo 6
Central Michigan 7, Seton Hall 4
Eastern Michigan 2, Penn State 1
Kent State 1, CS Bakersfield 0
Kent State 6, Montana 1
Courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications
Akron
Game Results
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of Akron softball team won its third consecutive game en route to claiming the team title at the Jacksonville University Invitational with a 4-3 victory over Syracuse on Sunday morning.
The Zips finished weekend tourney play at 4-1, followed by Jacksonville at 3-2.
Akron improved to 6-4 overall and has won five of its last six games. The Orange fell to 4-6 on the season.
"Obviously, we are very pleased with the weekend," head coach Julie Jones said. "We hit the ball hard, and Erin did a great job of commanding the zone, allowing us the opportunity time to score."
Syracuse, which also fell to Akron in the tourney's opening game 2-1 on Friday, scored first with two runs in the top of the first inning.
UA rebounded with a solo run in the bottom of the inning as sophomore third baseman Alyssa Nicholas (Cortland, Ohio) doubled, bringing in senior second baseman Kellie Roudabush (Hilliard, Ohio) who reached on a walk.
The Zips tied the game and went ahead for good with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Senior shortstop Chelsea Wildey (Oviedo, Fla.), Nicholas, and junior catcher McKenzi Rhodes (Marengo, Ohio) each had an RBI single.
Junior right-hander Erin Seiler (Bowling Green, Ohio) pitched a complete game for her fifth consecutive victory and sixth win overall (6-1). She struck out 10 batters and walked two. Neither team committed a fielding error.
During the five-game tourney, Wildey paced the Zips, hitting .500 with six hits, two doubles, and three RBI in five starts. Senior outfielder Taryn Allmon (Grove City, Ohio) and Nicholas followed, each hitting .357. Allmon had five hits and three RBI, while Nicholas had five hits, a double, a home run, and four RBI.
On the mound, Seiler went 4-0 for a 1.38 ERA in four complete games, including a shutout. She fanned 39 batters, including a career-high a 14 in the win over Jacksonville, and walked six in 26.0 innings of work.
Akron has a 13-day break before traveling to Nashville, Tenn., for Lipscomb's Purple/Gold Challenge on Feb. 28 and March 1.
Ball State
AUBURN, Ala. - - The Ball State softball team closed play in the Tiger Invitational hosted by No. 17 Auburn with a 4-3 win over Eastern Illinois Sunday morning at Jane B. Moore Field.
With the win, the Cardinals improve to 5-4 on the year and conclude the three-day Tiger Invitational with a 2-3 record.
Sophomore center fielder India Steward (Matteson, Ill./Rich South/Western Kentucky) led the Cardinals with a pair of hits in Sunday’s win over the Panthers (3-7), but it was her sacrifice bunt attempt in the fifth inning which turned into an in-the-park home run thanks to an EIU error which proved to be her biggest at bat of the game.
In the circle, junior Nicole Steinbach (Merrillville, Ind./Andrean) picked up her third win of the season, improving to 3-1, by limiting Eastern Illinois to six hits and three runs (two earned) over 7.0 innings of work. She also stuck out a season-high nine batters.
Steward opened the game with a single to center field and promptly stole second base. Steward then advanced to third on a wild pitch, before scoring the game’s first run on a RBI groundout back to the pitcher from senior left fielder Hanne Stuedemann (Mattawan, Mich./Mattawan).
The score remained 1-0 in favor of the Cardinals until the top of the fifth inning, when Eastern Illinois pushed three runs across the plate.
However, some shaky EIU defense in the bottom of the frame helped the Cardinals counter with three runs of their own. With one out, sophomore designated player Taylor Cooley (Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea) singled to the third baseman and advanced to second on a throwing error. Steward followed with a sacrifice bunt attempt, but another Panthers error allowed both Cooley and Steward to score.
Loren Cihlar (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) followed with a single to right field, and after moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, scored the game-winning run on a Stuedemann single up the middle.
Steinbach then retired EIU in order in the sixth, and after allowing a leadoff walk in the seventh, forced the next three batters to groundout to end the game.
Overall, the Cardinals scored four runs on six hits with two errors, while the Panthers tallied three runs on six hits with three errors.
The Ball State softball team returns to action Friday, when it opened play in the South Alabama Invitational with games versus Sam Houston State (2:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. CT) and Chattanooga (4:45 p.m. ET / 3:45 p.m. CT).
Buffalo
Game Results
ARLINGTON, TX – Despite 11 hits, the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, softball team fell in its final game this weekend to Ohio State, 15-6. The loss drops the Bulls to 3-7 on the year.
The Buckeyes scored the first six runs of the game and led 6-0 into the bottom of the fourth when the Bulls got on the board. UB put two in scoring position following a double from sophomore Ashton Earnhardt and following an infield single, UB had the bases loaded with just one out. Freshman Danielle Lallos answered with her second home run in as many games as she hit a grand slam to left field, pulling the Bulls within 6-4.
Ohio State answered with five runs in the top of the sixth to take an 11-4 lead but the Bulls scored two more in the bottom of the sixth as the Bulls loaded the bases with nobody out. Senior Alexis Curtiss drove in one run on a ground out and sophomore Savanna Norcio drove in another run as she singled up the middle. UB continued to have the bases loaded with one away, but couldn't get anything else going. Ohio State scored four more times in the top of the seventh.
Freshman Charlotte Miller picked up the loss in the circle as she went 1.2 innings, allowing three runs. Redshirt sophomore Bobbi Langlois and freshman Madison Vaught also saw action in the circle Sunday morning.
The Bulls finished with 11 hits, including two-hit games from Norcio, Hayley Barrow, Karly Nevez and Lallos.
"We swung the bats well today. I can't be mad about 11 hits," said head coach Trena Peel. "We are still not getting that timely hit to put the pressure on the other teams. We had opportunities to change the momentum of the game and came up short at the plate. I am proud of the progress we are making, but I am waiting for our pitching, defense and offense to click in the same game. We usually have one or two, but not all three yet."
The Bulls will be off from competition next weekend and will be back in action on Friday, Feb. 27 at the Black and Orange Challenge at Mercer.
Central Michigan
Game Results
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - CarolAnn Sexauer had three hits and Chelsea DeLamielleure hit a two-run homer Sunday as the Central Michigan softball team defeated Seton Hall, 7-4, in the Chippewas' final game in the Campbell/Cartier Classic at San Diego State.
The Chippewas finished 2-3 in the event and are 2-7 on the season. They defeated Seton Hall, 1-0, on Saturday. CMU did not commit an error in Sunday's win, marking the time this season the Chippewas did not make an error.
"I think we made a lot of progress as a team," CMU coach Margo Jonker said. "I got to know the players a little better, what they can and can't do, what their strengths are, what they have to work on."
Freshman Hanna Warren (1-4) notched her first collegiate victory on Sunday, starting and going 4 1/3 innings. She allowed three runs on five hits while striking out one.
Sophomore Rachael Knapp picked up the save, her first of the season, as she worked the final 2 2/3 innings. She surrendered a run on four hits, while striking out three and walking one.
Sexauer broke a 2-2 tie when she led off the third inning with a single, worked her way around to third on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, and scored on a passed ball.
CMU added two runs in the fifth on a Sexauer RBI triple and an RBI fielder's choice bunt off the bat of Trista Cox.
The Chippewas tacked on a run in the sixth, scoring on a throwing error, and one in the seventh on a Cox RBI double.
The Chippewas had committed 17 errors in their previous eight games.
"Our defense was more solid," Jonker said. "We had a couple outstanding defensive plays by Lacy Tolfree in center field (Saturday) that saved two runs and Chelsea DeLamielleure (second base) had some amazing plays today. CarolAnn Sexauer (shortstop) had some too. It's starting to come together a little bit more.
"It's always good to come home after a win. The trip is much more pleasant and the fact that we had some good performances makes a huge difference. The win helps and we're getting better as a team and figuring out our identity, which are big reasons why we take these trips."
Losing pitcher Danielle DeStaso allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits, while walking three and striking out eight.
The Chippewas are scheduled to play in the Lipscomb Purple/Gold Challenge Feb. 27-28 in Nashville, Tenn.
Eastern Michigan
Game Results
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University softball team grabbed its first win of the 2015 campaign, defeating Penn State University, 2-1, to close out the Texas A&M Tournament Sunday, Feb. 15.
The win marks the first time Eastern Michigan softball has defeated a team in the Big Ten since EMU picked up a 6-3 victory over Michigan State, Apr. 11, 2012.
The Eagles (1-4) used just three hits in the top of the first inning to push two runs across the plate and secure the Green and White's first victory of the 2015 season. Senior Lindsay Rich tossed her first complete game of the season, giving up just three hits in seven innings with three strikeouts and no walks.
Jessica Cummings suffered the loss in the circle for the Nittany Lions, throwing 1.1 innings and giving up two earned runs, while Marlaina Laubach threw 5.2 of relief without allowing a hit.
The Green and White got its bats going early when freshman Haley Hostetler led off the contest with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a Brandice Olmos sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher. With one out, sophomore Michelle Kriegshauser ripped a double up the middle, allowing Hostetler to touch home. A groundout to shortstop moved Kriegshauser into scoring position before Abby Davidson tallied the Eagles third hit of the inning with a single to center field that scored Kriegshauser.
After sitting the Nittany Lions down in order for two-straight innings and getting out of the fifth with no damage, Penn State lit up the scoreboard for the first time in the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning when Reina Furuya led off the inning with a single up the middle. Furuya advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before eventually scoring on an EMU throwing error with two outs.
In the final inning of the contest, Rich and the rest of the EMU defense sat down PSU in order to grab the 2-1 win over Penn State.
"I'm very proud of my team and overall I'm happy with our progression this weekend, remarked Head Coach Melissa Gentile. "We played some great competition this weekend and I felt like we battled more than the scores reflected and the lessons learned during these five games have made us better. We are looking forward to three more days of practice for a few adjustments and then on to Florida to continue this journey."
Eastern Michigan softball will host the first ever EMU Maderia Beach Spring Invitational Feb. 20-22 in Madeira Beach, Fla. The Eagles will first take on North Dakota Friday, Feb. 20 at 1:30 p.m. before concluding the day with Robert Morris at 4 p.m.
Kent State
Game 1 Results
Game 2 Results
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Kent State's pitching staff allowed just one run to lead the Golden Flashes to a pair of wins on the final day of competition at the University of San Diego Tournament on Sunday. The Flashes opened the day with a 6-1 win over Montana and then defeated Cal State Bakersfield, 1-0, to conclude the opening weekend of the 2015 season with a 4-2 record.
Kent State outhit its opponents, 15-8. Senior Kim Kirkpatrick and sophomore Ronnie Ladines had three hits each to lead six Flashes with multiple hits on the day. Junior Alyssa Frankenfield, sophomore Janel Hayes and senior Emma Johnson combined to allow just one run and had nine strikeouts to just two walks.
"I was happy we were able to finish the trip with two wins," said head coach Karen Linder. "All three pitchers did a great job today. Paige McCrary did a fantastic job all weekend both offensively and defensively behind the plate. Kim Kirkpatrick got us going offensively in first game and came through big in the second game. And our defense played well in both games."
Game 1: Kent State 6, Montana 1
Kent State scored in its first at-bat when Kim Kirkpatrick hit the team's first home run of the season. Montana came right back in the bottom of the first and used three singles to tie the game and put runners on the corners with just one out. Janel Hayes remained poised and got a groundout to short and strikeout to escape without any further damage.
Hayes then helped her own cause when she was hit by a pitch to leadoff the top of the second. A single by Ronnie Ladines and a wild pitch moved two Flashes into scoring position. Paige McCrary singled through the right side to score both runners and give the Flashes the lead for good. Junior Michele Duffy added a two-run single of her own, this time through the left side, alter in the inning to give the Flashes a 5-1 lead.
Kent State scored its final run on a sac fly by Hayes in the seventh.
Hayes (1-0) was sensational the rest of the way, as Montana did not have a hit over the final six innings. She recorded three strikeouts in the first complete game of her career.
Game 2: Kent State 1, Cal State Bakersfield 0
A clutch two-out single by Kim Kirkpatrick in the bottom of the fifth scored Emily Dobbin for the only run of the game. Lauren Kesterson was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on the play.
The Flashes received a terrific outing from Alyssa Frankenfield, who made her first start of the season. Frankenfield (1-0) threw five scoreless innings and allowed four hits to go with three strikeouts. Emma Johnson threw two scoreless innings in relief to record her first save of the season. Johnson struck out three batters and allowed just one hit.
Kent State will return to action with four games at the EKU Invitational next weekend (Feb. 21-22).
