Box Score
Overall Stats
AKRON, Ohio - A fourth inning home run and seven shut out innings in the circle were the ingredients Western Michigan needed to complete the season series sweep of Akron with a 1-0 win on Sunday at Lee Jackson Field.
Kristi Strange smashed her third home run of the season, fifth of her career, in top of the fourth inning to put the Broncos (28-12, 15-3 MAC) up 1-0 against the MAC East leading Zips (23-20, 12-6 MAC). All three of Strange's home runs have come against conference opponents this season (Central Michigan, Ball Sate, Akron). The junior left fielder hit her 19th double of the season in WMU's 9-0, five-inning victory at Akron on April 29.
Tricia VanDerSlik (5-6) had one of her strongest outings of the season, throwing 7.0 innings, her fourth complete game this season, and giving up just two hits early in the game. VanDerSlik struck out six batters, matching a season high, and gave up just two free passes.
With every at bat Akron had an opportunity to tie the score with one swing of the bat. Akron recorded singles in the first and second innings and then was sat down in order in the third through fifth innings. The Zips earned a walk in the sixth and had another base runner reach on a fielder's choice. VanDerSlik sat down Akron in order when it counted most, the bottom of the seventh, getting the lead-off hitter to ground out to second base, striking out the next and getting the Zip's last hope to fly out to center field.
The series finale was significantly different from the opener when Western Michigan scored nine runs on 10 hits in five innings. The Broncos managed just five hits with Mandi Sayres leading the way with leading the way with a pair of base hits in two official at bats. Also collecting hits for the Brown & Gold were Danielle Daughtry, Amanda Heckaman, Becky Bartosz and Strange's round-tripper. Heckaman extended her hitting streak to four games but would need to hit safely in the next three games to match her season-long seven-game hitting streak from earlier in the year.
The victory extended the Broncos' winning streak to five games. Western Michigan closes out the regular season at Fran Ebert Field, May 5-7, with a doubleheader against Bowling Green. The Falcons moved into first place in the East Division with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth to defeat Toledo, 6-5, on April 30.
