Sunday's Softball Results
Sunday's Scoreboard
Akron 4, Central Michigan 3
Miami 4, Kent State 3
Northern Illinois 14, Toledo 5
Ohio 7, Eastern Michigan 2
Western Michigan 3, Bowling Green 2
Courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications
Akron 4, Central Michigan 3
Results
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron softball team won its first Mid-American Conference game with a 4-3 victory over Central Michigan on a sunny and windy Sunday afternoon at Lee R. Jackson Field.
The win snapped a six-game skid for the Zips as they improved to 13-17 overall and 1-4 in MAC play. The Chippewas fell to 13-16 overall and 3-3 in league play.
CMU jumped on the scoreboard in the first with two outs. Akron responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning as lead-off batter senior Chelsea Wildey (Oviedo, Fla.) scored on an error after reaching on a single.
The Zips went up 3-1 with two more runs in the bottom of the second. Senior centerfielder Taryn Allmon (Grove City, Ohio) doubled to center field, was sacrificed to third, and came home on a Wildey RBI single. Freshman first baseman Cassie Gillespie (Sylvania, Ohio) scored the second run after reaching on a walk, stealing second, and advancing to third on Wildey's hit. She was sacrificed home by senior second baseman Kellie Roudabush (Hilliard, Ohio).
The Chippewas tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth with two runs as the first batter- Chelsea DeLamielleure—homered over the center field fence.
The Zips' Allmon scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the fourth after double to center, advancing to third on a passed ball, and coming home on a wild pitch.
Junior right-hander Erin Seiler (Bowling Green, Ohio) captured her first MAC win in the circle (13-11 overall, 1-4 MAC). She threw a complete game, fanning five and walking two.
Overall, CMU out-hit Akron, 7-4. The Chippewas committed two errors to Akron's one.
On the day, Allmon led the Zips at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two doubles. Wildey was also 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI.
Akron hits the road for the next 12 games. The first stop is Niagara on Wednesday, April 8, for a 3 p.m. doubleheader.
Ohio 7, Eastern Michigan 2
Results
ATHENS, Ohio -- Led by two homeruns and six RBIs by Raven King, the Ohio softball team completed a series sweep of Eastern Michigan, defeating the Eagles 7-2 Sunday afternoon at the Ohio Softball Field.
Eastern Michigan (9-21, 1-4 MAC) struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Abi Clark. The Eagles added on in the top of the third inning when Taylor Wagner hit an RBI double to put EMU up 2-0.
The Bobcat offense woke up in the bottom of the third inning, jumping on top 3-2 when King (Alpine, Utah) smashed the first of her two three-RBI homeruns, scoring Kaylin Clarke (North Royalton, Ohio) and Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio).
After a scoreless fourth inning, Ohio added on in the bottom of the fifth. The inning began when Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) singled up the middle and would later score on an RBI bunt single by Clarke. Then with two runners on and one out, King smashed her second homerun of the day, scoring Clarke and Sloan Walker (Cypress, Texas) to give the Bobcats a 7-2 lead.
Ohio wouldn't need any more offense, as Clarke worked four scoreless innings in the circle to help the Bobcats to the 7-2 victory.
Overall, The Bobcat offense had 11 hits. Dalton went 4-for-4 with a run scored. King was 2-for-3 with two homeruns, two runs scored and six RBIs. Sloan Walker went 2-for-2 at the plate with a run scored, Hutchinson and Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) both added a hit and Clarke added a hit and an RBI for the Bobcats.
In the circle, Lauren McClary (Pasadena, Texas) started, pitching three innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out one. Clarke (6-4) came on in relief and did not allow a run on three hits and struck out three.
Ohio (11-20, 4-2 MAC) returns to action April 10-12 when they continue Mid-American Conference action on the road. On Friday, April 10, the Bobcats will take on Buffalo in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Ohio then heads to Kent State for a two-game series, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. on April 11 and 1 p.m. on April 12.
Miami 4, Kent State 3
Results
OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University softball team picked up a huge win on Sunday, giving Kent State its first loss in Mid-American Conference play. The RedHawks knocked off the Golden Flashes, 4-3, in an intense, hard-fought contest. Miami improves to 21-13 overall and 5-1 in the MAC. Kent State falls to 23-7 overall and 4-1 in the MAC.
While the Golden Flashes got runners into scoring position in each of the first two innings, each time junior pitcher Amber Logemann was able to work her way out of it. With a runner on third and two outs in the top of the third it looked like she would escape again, but an error on a popup allowed the run score and give Kent State a 1-0 lead.
Miami scored all of its offense in a four-run bottom of the third. Senior outfielder Tiyona Marshall led off with a single to second base. A groundout by junior designated player Tanya Busby moved her up to second. Marshall then stole third base. Sophomore second baseman Eryn McCarver was hit by a pitch, and then stole second. Senior first baseman Shanyn McIntyre walked to load the bases with one out.
Junior outfielder Taylor Shuey followed with a single to centerfield, bringing home Marshall and tying the score at one. Senior outfielder Bree Lipscomb hit a towering shot to deep centerfield that just missed clearing the fence. Despite the out, all the runners moved up a base, and McCarver scored to put the RedHawks ahead for the first time. After freshman catcher Rylee Whispel was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, Kent State changed pitchers, putting in their ace Emma Johnson. Freshman third baseman Kat Lee hit a chopper over Johnson’s head, allowing McIntyre to score. The first baseman lost the ball on the exchange, allowing Shuey to also come home and give Miami a 4-1 lead.
In the top of the fourth, Kent State was able to load the bases with one out. Logemann then hit the next two batters in a row to force home two runs and cut the RedHawk advantage to 4-3. On the next play a grounder was hit to McCarver. She went home, getting the force just before the Golden Flashes’ runner was able to slide in. Miami got out of the inning when Lee caught a sharply hit liner hit directly at her.
From there Logemann took over, allowing only one infield single over the final three innings. She retired the Golden Flashes in order in the top of the seventh to finish off the 4-3 victory. For the game Logemann allowed two earned runs on five hits, while striking out five in earning her 17th victory of the season.
Marshall finished the game 3-for-4 with one run scored. Shuey was 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored.
The RedHawks return to action on Tuesday when they travel to Wright State for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
Northern Illinois 14, Toledo 5
Results
DEKALB, Ill. -- Behind some hot hitting and a few errors, the Northern Illinois University softball team made quick work of Toledo Sunday with a 14-5 win in five innings.
The Huskies (18-14, 5-1 MAC) picked up 12 hits against the Rockets (12-22, 0-6 MAC) and hits multiple home runs for the second-straight game. NIU also scored the most runs in a game since March 23, 2014, when they earned a 15-6 win over Iowa State.
"Our offense is really rolling," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "To be able to come back with that offense after the first inning that we had, it has a tendency to put you on your heels. We just went after them, attacked them, capitalized on some of their mistakes and from there it was all guns going."
Toledo, though, drew first blood in the top of the first. Following a Jessica Lemieux double to start, Chandler Rice hit a single into the gap to bring in the first run. Following a walk, Samantha Showalter hit a three-run home run to give the Rockets an early 4-0 lead.
Nonetheless, the Huskies summarily answered in the bottom half of the opening stanza. After Bryanna Phelan (Coal City, Ill./Coal City) and Kali Kossakowski (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward) reached base, Emily Naegele (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) knocked a sharp liner into right field to score Phelan.
Bekah Harnish's (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central) popout put two outs on the board, but an error by Toledo allowed Kossakowski to race home and make it a two-run game. Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind./New Castle) kept it going by reaching base on an error and plating Naegele in the process. Jessica Sturm (Wichita, Kan./Goddard) knotted it up with a double to right-center to brought home Woollard.
The runs kept coming for the Huskies in the second. With two on and one out, Kayti Grable (Santee, Calif./Santana) lined a single up the middle to bring home Caitlyn Warren (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North). A walk to Naegele loaded the bases for Harnish, who answered with a double off the wall in deep centerfield to clear the bases and make it an 8-4 NIU lead.
NIU blew things wide open in the fourth with one swing from Naegele. After two quick outs, Phelan, Kossakowski and Grable all reached base to keep the inning alive. Meanwhile, the junior from Oak Forest, Illinois, made Toledo pay, lofting a flyball down the leftfield line that just cleared the fence and stayed fair for a grand slam -- the first by a Huskie since Ashley Kopp on March 29, 2013 -- to extend the Huskie advantage to 12-4.
Yet, Toledo got one back in the fourth. With the bases loaded and two out, Chandler Rice brought in a run on a fielder's choice when the flip to second base came a second too late for the Huskies.
Once again, the Huskies had an answer. Following a Sturm single, Warren crushed the ball over the fence in deep centerfield for her first home run of the season and a 14-5 NIU lead. Sturm followed by shutting down the Rockets in the fifth to seal the victory.
NIU ends its homestand Wednesday, April 8, when they host regional rival Loyola in a doubleheader. Game one between the Huskies and Ramblers is set for 3 p.m. at Mary M. Bell Field.
Western Michigan 3, Bowling Green 2
Results
KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan softball completed an undefeated Mid-American Conference weekend and won its sixth game in a row, defeating visiting Bowling Green Sunday, 3-2. WMU also picked a 10-1 win over the Falcons Saturday and swept Toledo in a doubleheader Friday.
In addition to the four MAC victories over the weekend, the Broncos took a pair of games at IPFW this past Wednesday. WMU’s current record stands at 12-16 overall and 4-2 in league play.
Over the six-game winning streak, Western Michigan has outscored its opponents 64-13 and three Broncos have batted over .500. Junior shortstop Sabrina Gamboa hit a staggering .714 with 12 RBIs for the week and senior center fielder Jenny Rohn batted .526 with 10 RBIs.
Rohn played a big part in WMU’s win Sunday, collecting three of the team’s seven hits, going 3-for-3 at the plate. She hit a two-run home run out to right center in the third. It was her second home run of the weekend. She also hit a grand slam against Toledo in game two Friday.
WMU and BGSU were tied 1-1 after one inning of play and Rohn’s home run gave the Broncos a 3-1 lead in the third. Senior Taylor Sanicki and Rohn hit back-to-back one-out singles for WMU in the first. Sophomore Kelsea Cichocki drove in Sanicki with a single to left.
Bowling Green scored its final run in the fifth. Both Falcon runs were via solo home runs. Aspen Searle led off the game with blast to straightaway center field off of WMU starting pitcher Erin Binkowski. Kayla Koch sent her ball out to right field off of junior reliever Allyson Kus in the fifth.
Binkowski went two innings in the pitcher’s circle before handing the ball off to Kus. Kus was dominate, tying a career high with seven strikeouts over the remaining five frames. She was credited with her third win of the weekend, improving her record to 3-5 on the season. Kus struck out six Falcons yesterday in a five-inning start.
Western Michigan travels to Notre Dame this upcoming Tuesday, April 7, and returns to Kalamazoo for its third straight weekend at home, hosting Northern Illinois for single contests next Saturday and Sunday.
