RedHawks Hold Off Huskies to Lock Down Spot in MAC Championship Game
MAC Softball Championship Central
MAC Softball Championship Bracket
Video - MIA Postgame Interviews
MAC Softball Championship Day 3 Schedule
No. 3 Ohio - 8 vs. No. 5 Western Michigan - 5 (
Box Score)
No. 1 Kent State - 13 vs. No. 6 Akron - 6 (
Box Score)
No. 2 Miami - 2 vs. No. 4 Northern Illinois - 1 (
Box Score)
No. 1 Kent State - 1 vs.
No. 3 Ohio - 2 (
Box Score)
Recap Courtesy of Miami Athletic Communications Department
AKRON, Ohio -- The Miami University softball team has advanced to the Mid-American Conference Championship game for the first time since 2012 after gutting out a 2-1 victory over Northern Illinois on Friday. The RedHawks improve to 33-21, while the Huskies fall to 35-19.
Miami will play in the MAC Title game on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. The Red and White will play either fourth seed Northern Illinois, third seed Ohio or top seed Kent State. That team will have to beat the RedHawks twice, while Miami will only need to win once to take the championship. The MAC title game will air live on ESPN3.
Senior pitcher Amber Logemann was strong once again in throwing a complete game for the victory. She allowed only a single run in the bottom of the seventh. That ended a 21.1 inning scoreless streak for Logemann. She allowed only one hit, while scattering eight hits. She struck out six.
Miami got on board in the top of the first inning. Freshman shortstop Michaela Schlattman drew a leadoff walk. Junior second baseman Eryn McCarver was hit by a pitch. A double play gave NIU two outs, but moved Schlattman up to third. Freshman first baseman Johniann Wahl hit a grounder to short that was mishandled, allowing Schlattman to score and giving the RedHawks a 1-0 lead.
NIU had a base runner in every inning, but Logemann and the Miami defense kept them off the board through the first six. In the top of the seventh, sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Gliha led off with an infield single. A sacrifice bunt by senior outfielder Hailey Reed moved her over to second. Senior Tanya Busbycame in to pinch run for Gliha. Junior designated player Lauren Anderson followed with a single to leftfield. The ball got away from the Huskie leftfielder allowing Busby to score and make it 2-0.
That run proved to be important as NIU led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run. The Huskies got a one-single, but a strikeout and groundout finished off the 2-1 victory.
