Softball Picks Up Series Win at Akron with 7-2 Saturday Victory

AKRON, Ohio - - The Ball State softball team secured its first Mid-American Conference series win of the season with a 7-2 victory over Akron on a blustery Saturday afternoon at Lee R. Jackson Field.

After splitting Friday's doubleheader, the Cardinals 15-7 (2-1 MAC) offense came out hot, scoring seven runs over the first four innings to take early control of the contest.

Ball State struck first on an RBI single in the top of the first from senior left fielder Kara Gunter. Then, with junior pitcher Ella Whitney at third, the pair pulled off a successful double steal to make it a two-run game.

The Cardinals doubled its lead in the top of the second, when redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons blasted her fourth home run of the series. It was also her third two-run home run of the weekend against the Zips, pushing the score to 4-0.

Senior first baseman Kaitlyn Gibson would follow with a solo shot of her own in the top of the third, extending Ball State's lead to 5-0. While Akron would get a run in the bottom of the third, the Cardinals capitalized on an error and an RBI single from redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland to extend the edge to 7-1 in the top of the fourth.

Akron would add a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to cap the scoring, while Ball State's ninth double play of the season followed two batters later ending any hope for the home squad.

Again, the seven runs were all the support Whitney would need in the circle, as she became the first MAC pitcher this season to register 10 wins. In improving to 10-1 on the season, Whitney limited the Zips to two runs and five hits over her seven innings of work. She also struck out five batters, including getting the final batter of the contest swinging.

NOTES:
- With her MAC-leading 10th home run of the season, Timmons extended her active hitting streak to 14 games and her streak of reaching base safely to 48 games.
- Timmons has blasted at least one home run in each of her last five games, as well as seven of her last nine.
- Whitney finished the weekend with a 2-0 record, 1.50 ERA and a .236 average against … She allowed just 13 hits over 14.0 innings of work while striking out 10 batters.
- Ball State turned in another solid weekend on defense, committing just one error over the three games … It helped raise Ball State's overall fielding percentage to .975 on the year.
- With her home run in the fifth inning, Gibson became the eighth different Ball State player to go yard this season … The eight players have combined for 26 homes runs, while Ball State's pitching staff has surrendered just five this season.

UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team returns to action Tuesday, when it travels to Butler for a 4 p.m. first pitch.

Softball Picks Up Series Win at Akron with 7-2 Saturday Victory

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Team Stats

Maia Pietrzak

McKayla Timmons

Ella Whitney

Kara Gunter

Players Mentioned

Kaitlyn Gibson

Kara Gunter

McKenna Mulholland

McKayla Timmons

Ella Whitney