Saturday’s Softball Results
Central Michigan 5, Buffalo 2
UMass 5, Akron 4
Akron 2, UMass 0
Miami 9, Ball State 1 (5 inn.)
Ohio 9, Kent State 6
Western Michigan 8, Toledo 3
Recaps courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments
Central Michigan 5, Buffalo 2
Box Score
BUFFALO, N.Y. – On a windy and warm day in Buffalo, Central Michigan Softball defeated the Bulls 5-2 in Saturday's game three of the weekend series. CMU moves to 22-18 on the season and 13-7 in MAC play, while Buffalo moves to 21-27 overall and 8-13 in the MAC.
Next up, the Chippewas travel to South Bend, Ind. to face Notre Dame on Tuesday, April 21. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. ET.
Buffalo took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring on a fielder's choice to the shortstop. The runner reached third on a triple to left field.
In the top of the third inning, CMU tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI double from Jenna Kuzara. Emma Lotus scored on the play after reaching base on a single up the middle. Kuzara's double was her 15th of the season. In the bottom of that inning, Buffalo retook the lead on an RBI single.
CMU then answered to tie the game again with an RBI single to left field by Rachel Cairo. The Chippewa defense held the Bulls scoreless for the rest of the game.
CMU scored two more runs in the top of the fifth inning as Angela Petrovitch hit a two-RBI double to left center. Grace Koenig, who singled through the right side, scored on the play, as well as London Williams, who reached on a fielder's choice.
The final run of the game for Central Michigan came in the top of the seventh inning on an RBI ground out off the bat of Petrovitch.
Aubrey Strelow took the start for the Chippewas in the game, the third of her career. Strelow threw six complete innings, facing 23 batters and yielded just six hits. The freshman also struck out four in her outing. Mackenzie Langan ended the game for CMU in the circle, facing four batters with two flyouts and a groundout.
Petrovitch led the offensive charge for the Chippewas with two hits and three RBI. Every Chippewa in the lineup recorded a hit on the day, and the team had their 18th 10+ hit game of the season.
UMass 5, Akron 4 | Box Score
Akron 2, UMass 0 | Box Score
AMHERST, Mass. — The University of Massachusetts softball team (16-26, 7-14 MAC) split a series finale double header against Akron (26-21, 17-4 MAC). After Brooke Musch blasted a walkoff grand slam in the first game of the day to take a 5-4 win, the Zips held the Minutewomen off the board for a 2-0 victory.
Two Minutewomen surpassed career milestones on the day, as Musch's grand slam also marked the first home run of her career. Odyssey Torres singled in the bottom of the sixth inning in the first game, clinching her 100th career collegiate hit.
Musch led the offense for the day, with three hits and all five runs batted in. Grace Colucci, Tiegan Walsh and Torres each had multiple hits on the day.
The Minutewomen return to action on Friday, April 24th for a series against Bowling Green in Bowling Green, Ohio.
In the opening game of the day, timely hitting and solid pitching secured the win for UMass. Musch led the offense with two hits and five RBI's, with Colucci adding two hits of her own. Torres, Angie Rama, Lillie Scheivert and Lily Woodworth each had a hit for the Minutewomen.
Kelsey Blanchette opened the game on fire, retiring the first seven batters she faced, including three straight strikeouts from the top of the second to the third. Akron snuck a base hit through the left side of the infield with one out in the third, but Blanchette retired the next two batters to keep the game at 0-0.
In the bottom half of the third, the Minutewomen struck first. Colucci led off the inning with a single down the right field line, and advanced to second on a groundout. With two outs, Musch doubled to left center, scoring Colucci and breaking the tie, giving UMass a 1-0 advantage.
In the top of the fifth, Akron responded with three runs of its own. Consecutive one out walks and a double from Meagan Lee took the lead for the Zips, 2-1. Lee advanced to third on a throw to home after the double, and scored on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 3-1.
Olivia Cutuli entered in relief, and immediately got to work, striking out back to back batters to end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Minutewomen threatened the Akron lead. Following consecutive singles from Torres and Scheivert with two outs, both runners advanced to scoring position. Massachusetts was unable to capitalize, stranding both and heading into the seventh down 3-1.
Akron's Delaney Jenkison turned on a 2-2 fastball, sending a deep drive to left field to extend the Akron lead to 4-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, Colucci singled in the infield with two outs. Rama singled on the following at bat, and Riain Keefe worked a walk to load the bases. Musch again came up clutch with two outs, sending the first pitch she saw over the left center wall to secure the comeback victory for UMass, 5-4.
Cutuli (3-5) picked up the win for the Minutewomen, allowing one run on two hits and three strikeouts in 2.2 relief innings. Blanchette received a no decision after allowing three runs on four walks, two hits and four strikeouts. Madie Jamrog (10-6) was handed the loss for Akron, allowing five runs on eight hits, one walk and four strikeouts.
Junior Madie Jamrog was dealing in game two on Saturday, tossing a five-hit shutout to lead the Akron Zips past the UMass Minutewomen 2-0.
Jamrog (11-6) went the distance for Akron (26-21, 17-4), giving up five hits, walking one and striking out one.
Offensively, the Zips were lead by Meagan Lee and Katie Cantrell, who both went 3-for-4 from the plate. Lee scored both runs for Akron, while Cantrell registered the Zips' lone RBI. Andrea Day added a 2-for-3 performance from the plate, while Haley Glass and Sophia Wygast also recorded hits.
The Zips took the lead for good in the fifth, scoring for the first time in the inning. Senior Meagan Lee came across to score the lone run of the inning for Akron and get them on the board.
The Zips then tacked on a run in the seventh inning to complete their scoring in the ballgame.
Jamrog tossed a five-hit shutout for the Zips. Akron got three-hit games from both Lee and junior Katie Cantrell.
Akron's highest scoring inning was the seventh, when it pushed one run across. The Zips out-hit the Minutewomen at a 10-5 clip.
Akron pitchers faced 26 UMass hitters in the game, allowing seven ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out one. Cantrell led the Zips at the plate, going 3 for 4 with an RBI.
Miami 9, Ball State 1 (5 inn.)
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University softball team (33-14, 14-7 MAC) won the rubber match 9-1 against Ball State University (17-25, 4-17 MAC) on Saturday. The RedHawks captured the win in five innings.
Danitza Hernandez kicked off the scoring for the RedHawks in the first, blasting a home run over the left center wall for a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals tied it up in the top of the second with a home run of their own.
Miami took a 3-1 lead in the third inning with a two-run home run from Bailey Manos. The Red and White added to their lead with another home run that was hit by Mckenna Campbell, making the score 4-1 at the end of the fourth.
Leila Mathis then took her turn, exploding it over the left center wall for the RedHawks fourth home run of the game. Manos then scored from third off a fielder's choice, and Mia Estrello stole home. Katy Olive then hit an RBI double, earning the RedHawks an eight-run lead in the fifth, enacting the run-rule.
Presley Hosick pitched a complete game, allowing only one run, four hits and struck out five. Bailey Manos went 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run and two RBI.
Mckenna Campbell 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run and two RBI. Four different RedHawks hit a home run.
The RedHawks travel to Mount Pleasant, Mich., to take on Central Michigan on Friday, April 24. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Ohio 9, Kent State 6
Box Score
KENT, Ohio – The Ohio softball team (32-15, 14-7 MAC) wrapped up the three-game series against Kent State (17-25, 7-14 MAC) Saturday (April 18), defeating the Golden Flashes, 9-6, to complete the sweep.
Overall, Ohio scored nine runs on 13 hits and committed three errors, while Kent State scored six runs on nine hits and did not commit an error.
At the plate, graduate student Rylee McDaniel (Ventura, Calif.) went 3-for-3 including a home run and a triple, two RBI, and two runs scored. Senior Colleen Bare (Pickerington, Ohio) went 2-for-3, recording a home run, two RBI and two runs. Senior Shelby Westler (Marion, Ohio) finished 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI and two runs, and senior Belle Hummel (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored one run on one hit. Junior Izzie Wilson (Delaware, Ohio) scored one run on two hits and recorded three RBI, while Sophomore Sydney Young (Charleston, W. Va.) added two hits and an RBI.
In the circle, graduate student Skipp Miller (Bradford, Ohio) got the start, pitching 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and walked three. Senior Keegan Moore (South Point, Ohio) got the win, allowing three runs on three hits, walked two and struck out one in 4.1 innings pitched.
The Bobcats wasted no time getting on the board. With two runners on, Westler doubles to left, bringing Bare home for the first run of the game. A groundout added a run, then Young struck a single to left to drive in Wester for a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
Bare crushed the ball over the left-field fence for a two-run homer in the second to extend Ohio's lead to 5-0.
The Bobcats opened the top of the third with two hits to get runners into scoring position, then McDaniel followed with an RBI-triple for the 6-0 advantage. The Golden Flashes scored three in the bottom of the third to cut their deficit in half, 6-3.
With the bases loaded, Wilson hit a sacrifice fly for one run in the bottom of the fourth. After a scoreless fifth, Wilson recorded her third RBI of the game in the sixth with a double to left, extending the lead, 8-3. Kent State responded with a two-run home run to cut into the lead, 8-5.
McDaniel's strong afternoon continued, striking the ball over the right field fence for a solo homer and the 9-5 lead in the top of the seventh.
The Golden Flashes scored one in the bottom of the seventh, but the Bobcat defense shut them down to secure the victory, 9-6.
The Bobcats are back in action when they host top-seeded Akron for a three-game series. The series begins with game one on Friday, April 24, at 3 p.m. ET at the Ohio Softball Field and can be seen on ESPN+.
Western Michigan 8, Toledo 3
Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Western Michigan softball team took two of three games from the Toledo Rockets while celebrating the program's 50th season.
The Broncos won the final two games of their series against Toledo to win their fifth Mid-American Conference series of the season. After dropping a close game one 8-7, WMU bounced back to take the second game of Friday's doubleheader 2-0. The Brown and Gold then took the series on Saturday afternoon with an 8-3 victory powered by senior Jordan Smith's two home runs.
Through the series, Smith led Western Michigan's offense with a .600 batting average with six hits, three multi-base hits, 7 RBIs, and a 1.300 slugging percentage. She was closely followed by junior outfielder Emily Lampela, who batted .556 with five hits, two doubles, a home run, three RBIs, and a 1.111 slugging percentage. In the circle, freshman Ava Geyer led all four Bronco pitchers with a 2-0 record in two games started, including a complete game on Friday. Geyer had a team-low 1.27 ERA, allowing only two runs in 11.0 innings pitched while striking out eight batters.
