NW Ohio Times

The Akron Zips used the final two innings to plate three runs and held-off t Western Carolina's attempt at a comeback for a 3-2 win in Sunday's series finale to earn a 2-2 series split at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.

Freshman starting pitcher Joe Roth (Austintown, Ohio) and junior Sammy Tortorella (Pittsburgh, Pa.) combined for seven shutout innings to start the game. In his collegiate debut, Roth threw five complete innings without consenting a run. He issued a team-best six strikeouts while allowing only two hits and two walks.

Tortorella relived Roth of his duties and did not allow a hit in two innings of work with one strikeout. Senior Brett Dietrich (Goshen, Ohio) earned the win, throwing 1.2 innings and allowing three hits and one run with three K's before closing the door for the win.

Akron scattered six hits as sophomores CF Ian Pennington (Springboro, Ohio) and 3B Caleb Jenkins (Hilliard, Ohio) paced the Zips with two hits apiece. Pennington went 2-of-4 from the plate, including a lead-off single to start the ninth inning. Pennington advanced to third, while Jenkins executed the squeeze play perfectly for a base hit to plate Pennington. Jenkins went 2-of-4 at the plate and eventually scored on a wild pitch to make the score 3-1 in the Zips favor.

Senior Kaito Hara (Houston, Texas) and junior Jack Poist (Hoover, Ala.) recorded Akron's additional hits as Hara singled to right in the third inning before reaching on a fielder's choice in the eighth and scoring the game's initial run. Poist doubled down the left field line in the eighth inning, but was thrown out at the plate on Hara's fielder's choice.

Akron will be back in action on Friday through Sunday, Feb. 24-26, traveling to Latham Park in Elon, N.C. to battle the Elon Phoenix. The series first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Friday and fans can follow the action live on FloSports TV (subscription) or vial live stats on GoZips.com. 

Original source can be found here