Friday’s Softball Results
Akron 5, Western Michigan 2
Buffalo 5, Bowling Green 4
Miami 8, Kent State 7
Northern Illinois 3, UMass 2
Toledo 8, Ball State 6
Recaps courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments
Akron 5, Western Michigan 2
Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Akron Zips scored five runs on nine hits to secure a 5-2 win in the opening game of the Western Michigan series on Friday.
Three Zips registered multiple hit performances as Haley Glass led the way with a perfect 2 for 2 performance. Glass reached base every time in the batter's box with a double, a single and a walk, generating an RBI and run scored. Sophia Wygast and Delany Jenkinson blasted homeruns as Wyagast went 2 for 4 and Jenkinson went 1 for 2 at the plate. Kenzie Gatti rounded out the mulit-hit performances with a 2 for 3 showing in the box with an RBI and run scored.
Madie Jamrog (5-4) started in the circle and picked up the win for Akron (14-17, 6-1). The right-hander went six innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on eight hits, allowing no walks and striking out seven. Macy Walters also made an impact in the circle for the Zips, earning a save while throwing one scoreless inning and allowing no hits.
The Zips put runs on the scoreboard first, starting the scoring in the third inning. Akron got an RBI single from sophomore Maddelynn Lee, scoring junior Haley Glass from third base.
The Broncos then tied the ballgame at one before the Zips came back to reclaim their advantage in the fifth inning. Akron picked up a run on junior Sophia Wygast's two-out solo home run off of freshman Hannah Potts, which brought the score to 2-1 in favor of the Zips.
Akron held Western Michigan scoreless before expanding their lead to 5-1 the following inning. Western Michigan put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but Akron still held on for the 5-2 win.
The Zips and the Broncos close out the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 28. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Buffalo 5, Bowling Green 4
Box Score
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The University at Buffalo softball team (13-17, 4-3 MAC) opened their series against the Bowling Green Falcons (14-13, 2-5 MAC) with a 5-4 road win on Friday evening. In the win, Genevieve Longsdorf tossed her second straight complete game win finishing with six a season-high six strikeouts. She allowed three earned runs on five hits. Nicole Allen led the Bulls offensively with three RBIs on two hits.
Buffalo has now won eight of their last 11, including three straight.
The Bulls took advantage of early base runners as Emily Gorman led the game off with a single with Reagan Terwilliger earning a walk. Both runners moved to scoring position on a wild pitch. Nicole Allen gave Buffalo a 2-0 lead with a 2-RBI single to center. The Falcons settled in as the Bulls were retired in three consecutive batters.
Longsdorf had herself a 1-2-3 bottom of the first with the Falcons following suit in the top of the second. Bowling Green took a 3-2 lead as they loaded the bases courtesy of a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. A sac fly to right made it a 2-1 game, but a double steal was costly as an error allowed both runners to score and take the lead.
The score remained 3-2 until the top of the fourth when the Bulls regained the lead. Bri Delaney started the inning with a single to left as Abbey Nagel reached base by a fielder's choice by the second baseman. Ardyn Hopf loaded the bases with a single through the left side. Lily Lauck reached on a fielder's choice which resulted in Delaney to score, Hopf got out at second base. Ava Thelen recorded an RBI as she reached base via a fielder's choice to put the Bulls in front, 4-3.
Bowling Green quickly tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double to right center. Still tied at 4, the Falcons threatened in the bottom of the fifth. After a one-out double, the runner advanced to third after a sac bunt, but a deep fly ball to center ended the inning as Reagan Terwilliger made the play.
The Bulls went down in order in the sixth, but the Falcons made some noise. A one-out walk and a stolen base put the go ahead run on second base. Back-to-back flyouts ended the inning as the Bulls and Falcons headed to the seventh still tied.
Terwilliger put the pressure on the Falcons as she ripped a one-out triple to left center. This marked her sixth career triple, tied for the fourth most in program history with Anna Aguon (2017-22). Allen's bat stayed hot as she drove a fly ball to left that was deep enough to score Terwilliger on a sac fly.
Leading 5-4, the Bulls looked to close out the game in the bottom of the seventh. After striking out the leadoff batter, a single to left gave the Falcons life. The following batter flew out to center for the second out of the inning. With one out to go, the base runner stole second to put the tying run in scoring position, but a deep shot to center caught too much air as Terwilliger camped under it to end the game.
Gorman, Allen and Delaney each recorded a pair of hits.
The Bulls are back in action on Saturday they'll wrap up their series against the Falcons at 3 p.m. with a doubleheader.
Miami 8, Kent State 7
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio – Katy Olive and Danitza Hernandez combined for three home runs and eight RBI in Miami University's 8-7 win over Kent State on Friday afternoon. Miami improves to 22-8 overall (4-3 MAC), while Kent State falls to 14-14 (4-3 MAC).
Olive opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the top of the first to sport the RedHawks an early 2-0 lead.
The Golden Flashes threatened in the second with a lead-off double, but Presley Hosick forced three-straight weak ground outs to keep KSU off the board.
Miami claimed a 3-0 lead in the bottom half of the inning. Madie Patton opened the inning with a walk and waltzed over to second after an Olive walk. Hernandez then recorded a two-out single up the box to bring home Patton.
Olive's second dinger of the game brought around Kari Krueger and spotted the Red and White a 5-0 advantage after four innings of play.
In the bottom of the fifth the RedHawks had runners at second and third but were unable to plate either runner. Kent State then hit a grand slam in the top of the sixth to make it 5-4.
Hernandez's three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth brought home Mia Estrello and Olive to spot Miami an 8-4 lead.
Kent State plated three runs in the top of the seventh, but the RedHawks hung on for the 8-7 victory.
For the fourth time this season, Katy Olive posted multiple home runs in a game. She finished the contest with four RBI, a career best.
Hosick threw 6.0 innings and allowed three earned runs to pick up her seventh win of the season.
Miami hosts Kent State in a double header on Saturday, March 28. First game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Northern Illinois 3, UMass 2
Box Score
DeKALB, Ill.—A sixth inning push helped lead the Northern Illinois University softball team past the University of Massachusetts this afternoon, 3-2. The Huskies (10-9, 4-3 MAC) posted a 3-2 win over the Minutewomen (8-18, 1-6 MAC) in the first of a three-game series.
Madison Carlson (South Beloit, Ill./South Beloit) matched her career-best of seven strikeouts as she marked her third complete game of the season.
Alana Powell (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) was 2-for-2 at the plate as she added a pair of runs for the Huskies.
"Maddy Carlson set the tone right from the beginning and she has been a part of each and every game. For her to set the tone and be confident, she kept us in the game until the bats got hot," said NIU head coach Kathryn Gleason. "Kayla did a great job leading us off with a walk and then Cara taking the next base. And then AP (Alana Powell) came through with two hits today and did a great job. It goes back to us setting the pace."
Carlson got right to work, recording consecutive strikeouts in the first inning as both teams went three up, three down.
Powell recorded the first hit of the game in the bottom of the second, a triple to right field before being stranded on the bases.
UMass broke through in the third with back-to-back singles and took advantage of a Huskie miscue to push across two runs.
Trinity Jones Estrada (Sylmar, Calif./John F. Kennedy) and Lia Nance (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside), who each recorded a pair of hits in the contest, had back-to-back hits in the third before the UMass defense collected three straight outs.
Powell drew a walk in the fourth, stole two bases, and ultimately delivered NIU's first run of the game, scoring as Mia Morera (Simi Valley, Calif./Westlake) was caught in a rundown for the final out.
Carlson added a pair of strikeouts in the fifth inning as the teams continued to battle on the diamond.
Kayla Estrada (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King) drew a walk to lead off the sixth inning before Cara Cruthers (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) entered as a pinch runner. Powell singled, and advanced to second, as Cruthers scored the tying run of the game. After a sacrifice bunt sent Powell to third, a Jones Estrada RBI single sent Powell across the plate for the winning run.
Carlson added her final two strikeouts in the seventh inning as the Huskies took game one of the series.
Action resumes tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in a doubleheader in the Huskies' strikeout cancer game. Action will take place at Mary M. Bell Field and admission is free.
Toledo 8, Ball State 6
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio – Toledo softball earned its fourth-straight win with an 8-6 decision over Ball State in the series opener at Scott Park on Friday afternoon. The Rockets are now 5-2 in Mid-American Conference play, good for second place, one game behind conference leader Akron.
After Audrey Miller opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first, the Rockets' offense exploded for six runs in the bottom of the third inning. Eli Enriquez, Samantha Bolding and Payton Pudlowski each hit RBI doubles during the frame while freshman Jenna Gober fired off her second career home run, a two-run shot to right center, to take a 7-1 lead.
Enriquez tallied two hits for her 14th multi-hit contest of the season to go along with two RBIs. Miller chipped in her 12th multi-hit game of the year and notched her sixth home run of the season while Gober fired off just her second homer of her collegiate career.
Junior Katie McDonald earned the start in the circle, tossing 3.1 innings and allowing five runs on five hits. Junior Mady Yackee (6-2) appeared in relief, throwing 3.2 innings and allowing just one run on three hits to go along with a season-high four strikeouts.
Toledo and Ball State will conclude the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 28. First pitch from Scott Park is set for 1:00 p.m.
Audrey Miller put UT on the board with a solo homer to right field in the first, 1-0.
Ball State responded with a run of their own off of an RBI single in the top of the second, 1-1.
Toledo plated six runs in the bottom of the third thanks to RBI doubles from Eli Enriquez, Samantha Bolding, Payton Pudlowski and a two run home run from Jenna Gober, 7-1.
The Cardinals fought back to get within two in the top of the fourth as they scored four runs on a ground out and a triple, 7-5.
An RBI single from Eli Enriquez sent home an insurance run for the Rockets, 8-5.
Ball State looked to get a rally going in the top of the seventh with a pair of singles and plated a run, but a strikeout from Mady Yackee closed the door.
