Miami Clinches MAC Title in Doubleheader Sweep of Ohio

Wednesday, May 12

Oxford, Ohio

2 p.m.

Miami University

41-8, 31-2

Ohio University (DH)

20-22, 16-17

OHIO UNIVERSITY

Miami

Miami Clinches MAC Title in Doubleheader Sweep of Ohio

5/12/2021 6:12:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

OXFORD, Ohio—With a 3-2 win in the opening game of its doubleheader against Ohio University on Wednesday afternoon, the Miami University softball team seized its second-straight Mid-American Conference regular-season championship and will represent the MAC in the NCAA Tournament later this month. The RedHawks clinched the title with five games remaining on their regular-season schedule, including the nightcap of the doubleheader, which the RedHawks captured in five innings, 13-4.

Miami also won the MAC regular-season title in 2019, the last time the league season was played with last season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Miami will make its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance and its first since 2016.

The RedHawks move to 42-8 on the season and 32-2 in MAC action. Miami's 42 wins are a program record, eclipsing the RedHawks' 41 wins in 2012. Those are the program's only two 40-win seasons. Ohio drops to 20-23 overall and 16-18 in MAC play.

GAME ONE:

Freshman Karli Spaid led off the bottom of the third inning with a double and crossed home on a sacrifice fly by junior Riley Coyne to put Miami up, 1-0.
Spaid tripled to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning and scored her second run of the day off a junior Allie Cummins sacrifice fly to put Miami up, 2-0.
Ohio knotted the game in the top of the sixth inning, but freshman Holly Blaska hammered a solo home run over the center field fence in the bottom of the sixth to put Miami ahead, 3-2. The Bobcats went down in order in the top of the seventh as the RedHawks picked up the game one win.
Spaid went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs to pace the RedHawks, while senior Courtney Vierstra notched her 24th win in the circle, two runs and four hits while striking out six and walking none in 7.0 innings of work.

GAME TWO:

The RedHawks opened up a 2-0 lead on a Cummins two-run homer to left center in the bottom of the first inning, handing Cummins sole possession of the single-season RBI record and giving her Miami's home run record.
A five-run second inning pushed the RedHawk advantage to 7-0. The scoring included RBI doubles by freshman Karlee Juarez and Cummins along with RBI singles from senior Morgan Lott and Blaska.
Ohio cut into the Miami lead in the top of the third, scoring three runs, but a two-run blast to right field from Blaska in the bottom of the inning put the RedHawk advantage at 9-3.
Spaid led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run to center field, tying the single-season home run record that Cummins set earlier in the game. Later in the inning, senior Mackenzie Moore belted a three-run home run to right field to lift Miami to a 13-3 lead.
Cummins was 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs and three RBI in the second game. Senior Taylor Rathe picked up the win in the circle.

UP NEXT:
Miami hits the road for a four-game weekend series at Northern Illinois University to round out the regular-season. The RedHawks open the series with the Huskies at 4 p.m. (ET) on Friday, May 14.