Mid-American Conference

AKRON, Ohio -- A three-run top of the 6th was enough to give No. 5 Central Michigan the win over No. 4 Northern Illinois, 6-5. With the win, the Chippewas will take on the winner of the No. 1 Miami v. No. 8 Western Michigan contest at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday. The Huskies will play in an elimination game against the Miami/Western Michigan loser at 10:30 a.m ET tomorrow morning. 

Seniors Allison Curtis and Rachel Vieira had three hits apiece and freshman Kaitlyn Bean came out of the bullpen for her first career save as the Chippewas steered through a 6-5 victory over Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference Tournament opener at Firestone Stadium.
 
The Chippewas trailed, 5-3, then scored three times – getting on base and pushing runs across the plate in just about every conceivable way -- in the sixth inning to go ahead for good.
 
Vieira tripled to lead off the inning and scored on a sacrifice fly. The Chippewas then got a walk, a pinch-hit single from Kaila Fulker, and a hit batsman to load the bases with two out. Sara Hansen's grounder to shortstop went for an error, allowing a run to score, tying the game 5-5. Erika Underwood then drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Chippewas in front for good.
 
Sophomore Samantha Howell (7-8) started and went 5 1/3 innings in earning the victory. She allowed five runs on seven hits and walked five.
 
Bean entered the game with one out and a runner at second in the sixth. She struck out Huskie leadoff hitter Jenny Van Geertry and then, after a walk, got No. 3 hitter Katie Keller to fly out to end the inning and the threat. Keller entered the tournament as the MAC's leading hitter, averaging .411, while Van Geertry was hitting .344.
 
Bean also worked out of a seventh-inning jam, getting back-to-back fly balls to strand two.