OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University softball team (32-14, 15-4 MAC) swept Akron (13-30-2, 3-17 MAC) in Friday's doubleheader on Alumnae Day to clinch the first regular season MAC Championship in program history. Miami shutout Akron in game one by a 6-0 margin before taking game two by a 4-2 margin.
Miami 6, Akron 0
Courtney Vierstra pitched the complete-game shutout. Vierstra gave up only two hits and walked none as she struck out 12. Vierstra struck out at least 10 batters for the 10
th time this season. She is third in single-season strikeouts with 220 strikeouts so far this season.
Vierstra struck out the side to begin the game before the Miami offense took an early 2-0 in the bottom of the first.
Morgan Lott hit a lead-off single and
Ashton Slone drew a one-out walk.
Johniann Wahl hit an RBI double to score Slone and put Miami on the board.
Kara Leckinger brought Slone home with an outfield single.
Miami increased its lead to 6-0 with four runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Mackenzie Moore singled and
Jenny Vasquez was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with two outs. Slone doubled to score Moore and Vasquez. Wahl reached base on a fielding error that put runners on the corners with two down. Leckinger hit an RBI double to score Slone and Wahl.
Slone hit her second double of the game and 16
th of the season in the fourth inning. She is tied for the fourth-most single-season doubles in program history.
Leckinger (2-of-4, 3 RBI) and Slone (2-of-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs, walk) led the Miami offense. Lott and Wahl also had multi-hit games.
Miami 4, Akron 2
Brianna Pratt started the second game of the doubleheader in the circle. She pitched four innings, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks. Pratt struck out two batters.
Vierstra came into the game as relief to start the fifth inning. She pitched the remaining three innings and gave up no runs, hits nor walks. Vierstra added five strikeouts.
Miami took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after the Miami defense forced Akron down in order to start the game. Lott led off with a walk and stole second. Slone hit a single to score Lott and reached third on an Akron throwing error. Leckinger was hit by a pitch but runners were stranded at the corners.
Akron took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second. The Zips led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Another single put runners on the corners before a stolen base put two runners in scoring position with nobody out. Akron scored on a single to tie the game and again on a fielder's choice as the runner beat out the throw to home.
The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning when the RedHawks took a 4-2 lead. Moore tied the game with a solo home run, her second homer of the season. Vasquez singled and Slone drew a walk with two out to put runners on first and second. Wahl hit an RBI double that would score two.
Wahl (1-of-3, 2 RBI) and Moore (1-of-3, home run, RBI) led the Miami offense as six different players had a hit apiece.
UP AHEAD
Miami and Akron close the series with a game on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday is Senior Day and a red out. Senior recognition will take place before first pitch.
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