AKRON, Ohio – The Western Michigan softball team wasn't able to fend off a seventh inning comeback from the top-seeded Akron Zips in a 4-2 loss on Friday.
The Broncos came one out away from the championship game on Friday afternoon in their third game of the 2026 MAC Tournament. But a walk-off grand slam from Akron third baseman Lily Sullivan gave WMU its first loss of the postseason. The Brown and Gold outhit the Zips seven to four as infielder
Bella Duncan and catcher
Tristen Head had two each. Three other Western Michigan batters had a hit in the semifinal game while freshman
Ava Geyer recorded her 11
th complete game of the year in the circle.
Lead-off hitter Duncan started Friday's semifinal games with a hit that dropped into the infield between two Akron players. But the Broncos weren't able to get another runner on base, leaving the first inning empty on offense for the first time this week. The Zips had a similar first inning but reached base on a throwing error as starter
Ava Geyer didn't give up a hit.
Neither side reached base in the second and WMU also went down in order in the third for nine straight outs between the two defenses. The Brown and Gold also got the first two batters in the bottom half for 11 batters out before Akron had their first hit of the game. But Western Michigan got the final out of the third right after to move into the fourth.
The Broncos first two batters were again taken down in order by the Zips defense. WMU then became the first of either team with multiple runners on base in the fourth. Akron's pitcher gave up both a hit by pitch and a walk to put the Brown and Gold in scoring position. Western Michigan wasn't able to find the hit to bring someone home with the third out put into left field. The Zips matched the Broncos again in the fourth with two straight outs followed by two hitters reaching base before getting stranded.
Head led off the top of the fifth inning with her first hit of the tournament as WMU became the first team with multiple hits in an inning. While Head was out on the next play, right fielder
Megan Malartsik found the left side gap to put two runners on. The Brown and Gold scored the first run of the game two at-bats later as shortstop
Caitlin Tighe put a single up the middle of the field to score third baseman
Hannah Herman.
After scoring the run, Western Michigan had its third out, going to the bottom of the fifth. The Broncos quickly took care of the inning, getting Akron's batters to go down in order. It looked like the Zips were going to do the same in the sixth, but with two outs on the board, WMU had a single by
Rylee O'Brien that was followed up by Head's first triple in a Brown and Gold uniform, scoring an insurance run.
During the bottom of the sixth inning, Akron almost broke its scoreless streak following a lead-off walk. Sullivan launched what looked like a no doubt home run to right field that would have tied the game, but Malartsik made a highlight real catch, robbing the potential tying hit. Akron looked to threaten again in the sixth, loading the bases after the robbed home run. But Western Michigan's defense made the fly out grab in left field to head to the final inning.
Duncan added her second hit of the game in the top of the seventh but was the only base runner for the Broncos. In the bottom frame WMU started with two quick outs, but a completed squeeze play for the Zips began a string of base runners. In three at-bats Akron loaded up the bases and then walked off the game with a grand slam from none other than Sullivan to hand the Brown and Gold their first loss of the tournament.
Western Michigan will play the fourth seeded Ohio Bobcats in an elimination game on Saturday, May 9. The Bobcats were one of two conference teams the Broncos did not face during the regular season as their last game against each other was in May of 2025. While the game between WMU and OU was originally scheduled for Friday evening, heavy rain showers in the Akron area has pushed the contest to a Saturday morning 11 a.m. first pitch.
