The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ohio
Baseball Drops Series Finale to Ohio, 4-2
April 14 | Baseball
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron (8-25, 5-7 MAC) baseball team fell to Ohio University (8-26, 4-8 MAC) by a score of 4-2 on Sunday afternoon at Bob Wren Stadium in the series finale of the three game Mid-American Conference series. Akron won the first two games of the series to win their second series of the season.
"Disappointed we didn't take all three games," Head Coach Rick Rembielak said following the loss. "We seemed like we didn't stay with our approach as in the first two games. Chased too many balls, and didn't even have hard outs."
Sophomore Matt LaRocca made his first career start at pitcher for Akron on Sunday. LaRocca lasted 4.2 innings pitched with three earned runs allowed, two walks and one strikeout. The native of Stony Brook, N.Y., was given a loss to drop his season record to 0-1.
Ohio started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning with one run scored. The ballgame went scoreless for the next two innings, until Akron plated one run in the fifth inning.
Cale Giddings and Brady Stewart led off the inning with consecutive singles, and were moved over by a Gerrad Rohan sacrifice bunt. Giddings came around to score on a sac fly by James Sheltrown, which was Sheltrown's third RBI of the season.
With the game tied at one in the bottom of the fifth, Ohio plated two runs on a two-RBI single by Nick Squires. Akron was able to fight back for one more run in the seventh, but OU's three runs in the game were enough for victory.
Ohio registered one more run scored in the eighth inning to finish off their scoring effort. Michael Steensen was on the mound for the final run of the game, an unearned run.
Andrew Fanning and Steensen combined for 3.1 innings pitched with zero earned runs allowed out of the Zips bullpen. Fanning has logged the most time out of the bullpen this season with 25.0 innings pitched.
Overall, the Akron offense totaled seven hits on Sunday afternoon. Giddings led the Akron offense with three base hits along with one run scored.
"With a thin OU bullpen, we did them a huge favor today," Coach Rembielak said Sunday. "In order to go to the next level, we need to raise our expectations and have a killer instinct all the time."
Akron's next game will be on the road at Ohio State for a 6:35 p.m., midweek game on Tuesday.
