Softball | April 08, 2018

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan softball split Sunday's doubleheader with Akron, winning 5-2 in game one and dropping game two, 5-4. The Broncos earned a 9-2 victory on Saturday against the Zips to take two of the three games against Akron this weekend. WMU's record moves to 19-16 overall and 6-4 in the Mid-American Conference.

Senior Aspen Williams went 4-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored Sunday. She homered in each game, hitting a two-run blast in the sixth that extended WMU's lead to 5-0 in game one. In game two, she roped a solo home run in the sixth that hit the fence in right field and bounced over the top to pull WMU within one run, 4-3. Williams has a team-best nine home runs this year, which ties for third most in a WMU single season and is two shy of the school single season record of 11.

Freshman Sydney Stefanick struck out three and held the Zips scoreless through six innings in game one before being touched for two runs in the seventh. Senior Anissa Sanchez came in to record the final out of the game with a strikeout. Stefanick earned the win, throwing 6.2 innings and improving her record to 4-4 on the year. Sanchez picked up her first save of the season.

The Broncos took a 1-0 run in the first after Stefanick hit a leadoff single and scored on an unearned run following a sac bunt and a fielding error. WMU added two more runs in the fifth. Brooke Wyman and Samantha Coffel each had an RBI. Wyman batted 2-for-3 in the game.

Western Michigan opened a 1-0 lead in game two off of consecutive singles by Coffel, Marlee Wilson and Jenna Faultersack (RBI) in the bottom of the first. Akron responded with two runs in the top of the second and WMU pulled even at 2-2 with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Williams had a leadoff single, stole second and scored after singles by Mackenzie Swinehart and Wyman (RBI).

Akron plated two runs with a two-out single in the top of the third to once again take the lead, 4-2. Sanchez started the game in the pitcher's circle and was chased after giving up the two-run hit with two away in the third. Reliever Holly VanTilburg got WMU out of the inning with a third-out strikeout.

Williams' solo home run in the sixth pulled WMU within one, 4-3, but Kimberly Rodriguez answered with a solo shot for the Zips in the top of the seventh to push Akron's lead back to two.

Coffel hit a one-out single and scored from first on a deep single to right center by Faultersack in the seventh to cut the deficit to one. Kaylen Glenfield reached on a two-out error and Williams was intentionally walked to load the bases. The Broncos couldn't complete the comeback as Skyler Sobeski popped up to the shortstop for the final out.

Sanchez (5-6) was handed the loss, going 2.2 innings and allowing four runs, five hits and two walks while striking out one.

Williams batted 3-for-3 in game two, Coffel and Faultersack (two RBI) both went 2-for-4.

Western Michigan is on the road for its next five games. The Broncos will play a doubleheader at Central Michigan on Wednesday, beginning at 1 p.m. WMU then travels to Ball State over the weekend for a three-game series, April 13 & 14.