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AKRON, Ohio -- The Miami University softball team split a doubleheader with Akron to conclude its weekend series on Saturday. The RedHawks took the opener, 4-1. In a back-and-forth nightcap, the Zips ended up with an 8-7 victory. Miami is now 27-21 overall and 12-7 in the Mid-American Conference. Akron is 28-21-1 overall and 10-8-1 in the MAC.

Junior catcher Lauren Anderson proved to be the hero in the opener. In the top of the second, she put Miami on the board with a solo home run over the leftfield wall.

It remained 1-0 as junior pitcher Carly Mortensen kept Akron off the board through the first five innings. In the bottom of the sixth, senior Amber Logemann came on in relief after the first two Zips batters reached. With one out and a runners on second and third, a sacrifice fly brought home a run to tie the score at one. Mortensen finished the game allowing one run on four hits while striking out four in 5.0 innings pitched.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, sophomore catcher Rylee Whispel doubled to right center. Senior outfielder Hailey Reed followed with a double to right center of her own that scored Whispel and put the RedHawks on top, 2-1. Anderson came up and blasted her second home run of the game, a two-run shot to deep centerfield that made it 4-1.

Logemann retired Akron in order in the bottom of the seventh to earn her 17th victory of the season. She did not allow a hit in 2.0 innings pitched.

Anderson finished the opener 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Reed was for 1-for-3 with one RBI.

Miami took the lead with two runs in the top of the first inning of the nightcap. With one out, second baseman Eryn McCarver singled up the middle. Senior outfielder Taylor Shuey singled to move her up to second. A double by freshman first baseman Johniann Wahl brought home McCarver to put the RedHawks on the board. A single up the middle by sophomore outfielder Kaitlyn Gliha scored Shuey and made it 2-0.

The Zips got one back in the bottom of the first before MU got two more in the top of the second. Whispel led off with a double to right field. A single by sophomore third baseman Kat Lee and a walk from freshman shortstop Michaela Schlattman loaded the bases with no one out. A wild pitch scored Whispel. After McCarver reloaded the bases with a walk, a fielder's choice groundout scored Lee and gave the `Hawks a 4-1 advantage.

With the score 4-2 in the top of the fifth, Gliha led off the frame with her second home run of the year. The Zips answered back with a two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning that made it 5-4 in favor of Miami at the end of five complete.

Wahl drove in Schlattman in the top of the sixth to give Miami a two-run advantage once again. However three hits, including a big three-run home run, allowed the Zips to score four in the bottom half of the frame and take an 8-6 lead.

The RedHawks did not give up as Reed led off the top of the seventh with a solo shot to make it a one-run game. That would be all that Miami could get, as Akron retired the next three in order to finish off the 8-7 victory.

Wahl finished the nightcap 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Gliha was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored, while Reed was 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.

The RedHawks complete the regular season with a three-game series at Buffalo next weekend. The teams will play a single game on Friday beginning at 3 p.m. and a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.