May 5, 2005

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Tina McCauley (Canton, Ohio/GlenOak) tossed three scoreless innings of relief and Rebecca Stern (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Darby) was 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored as the Zips (25-27) came back from a 3-1 loss in game one to take game two against Youngstown State, 6-2 Thursday night at McCune Park.

Akron closes out regular season play this Saturday with a doubleheader at Toledo. The Zips must win both games to stay in the hunt for a Mid-American Conference tournament berth.

After four scoreless innings of action in game two, Youngstown State (19-32) touched Akron starter Sara Tervo (Manchester, Mich./Clinton) for a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 2-0 lead. After Becky Hibner opened the inning with a single, Lacey Hess smacked Tervo's offering to left field for an RBI double. McCauley came on in relief and gave up a sacrifice fly to Tiffany Patteson before getting out of the inning with the Zips down two runs.

The Zips regained the lead for good in the top of the sixth as a bases-loaded walk to Jaclyn Spirtos (Media, Ohio/Highland) put a run on the board for Akron. With two outs, the next batter, Lindsay Vittorio (Westerville, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales) singled up the middle, driving in a pair of runs for the 3-2 lead.

Akron put the game out of reach in the seventh when Stern's RBI single to left field scored Rachel Kraus (Akron, Ohio/Revere) followed by an error in left field that allowed Sara Zilles (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) to cross home plate. Kerry Omerza (Western Springs, Ill./Lyons Township) closed out the scoring with a single to left field.

Akron took an 1-0 lead in the top of the first in game one as Zilles led off with a double and scored on Omerza single up the middle.

That was all the offense the Zips could muster for starting pitcher Megan MacKenzie (North Delta, British Columbia/North Delta) as she fell to 7-9 on the season, allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings of work.

The Penguins tied the contest with a single run in the bottom of the third when Patteson singled to right field and came home on Sarah Conklin's single to right center. The game clincher for YSU came in the fourth inning, manufacturing a run on singles from Hibner and Char Kudlock.