MIAMI SOFTBALL

MU Softball Zaps Zips -- twice -- to remain MAC perfect

MRO-Plus
AKRON, OH -- The Miami RedHawks (31-6, 13-0 MAC) remained unbeaten in Mid-American Conference play and ran their overall winning streak to 18 games with two wins over Akron Saturday at Lee R. Jackson Field. The Zips fell to 18-22, 7-7 MAC with the two setbacks. 

Madilyn Reeves (13-2) struck out seven while allowing four hits as Miami took the series opener 9-1 in five innings. Three RedHawks belted homers, including two by Karli Spaid. The two circuit-clouts raised her career total to 92, tying her for third on the NCAA's career homer list. 

Miami trailed briefly in the second game after Akron rook a 7-6 lead with a five-run fourth inning rally. However, MU tallied the game's final . . .

---

KARLI SPAID

. . . eight runs, including six in the sixth inning to secure a 14-7 victory. 

Akron and Miami finish their three-game series Sunday (12 p.m. ET).
The RedHawks return home next week, hosting Ball State for a pair of games Tuesday (3 p.m. and 5 p.m. ET) before heading to Central Michigan for a three-game series next weekend. 

MAC STANDINGS HERE

GAME ONE -- MIAMI 9. AKRON 1
-- Miami scored single runs in each of the first three innings. Spaid homered in the first and Kate Kobayashi went yard in the second. The latter picked up another RBI in the third, driving Spaid in with a sacrifice fly.
-- The RedHawks biggest offensive inning came in the fourth. Allie Cummins singled in a pair before Spaid homered again, this time bring in Cummings to push Miami's lead to 7-0. 
-- Akron got its only run of the contest when freshman Lily Sullivan doubled in Madison Dudek. 
-- Reagan Bartholomew's two-run homer in the fifth gave Miami a 9-1 lead. Reeves allowed a hit but kept UA off the board in the bottom, allowing MU to post a run-rule victory.

GAME TWO -- MIAMI 14, AKRON 7
-- Both offenses produced in Game Two as the two teams combined for 22 hits and 21 runs. 
Miami counted four homers among hits 13 hits and 12 runs. The Zips stroked nine hits with one home run.
-- Ashley Hitchcock (9-3) picked up the win for Miami, allowing eight hits and seven runs while striking out five and walking two. Addy Jarvis (S,3) finished, surrendering just one hit while striking out five and walking two in 3.1 innings of work.
-- Spaid, who homered twice in the first game, was intentionally walked in three of five play appearances in Game Two. She had one hit and struck out once in official at-bats during the nightcap.
-- Miami jumped in front with a four-run first. Holly Blaska singled in the first two. Bartholomew added two more with her single to left. 
-- Akron tallied one in the second inning, but a Blaska homer run plated two more for Miami in the third. 
-- After scoring one in the third, UA exploded for five runs to grab a 7-6 lead. Sophia Wygest's grand slam was the big blow, chasing Hitchcock and bringing Jarvis on in relief. 
-- Kobayashi tied the contest with an RBI single in the fifth and MU struck for six runs one inning later. Chloe Parks, Cummins and Kobayashi all homered during the blitz. 
-- Sami Bewick's seventh inning single finished the game's scoring. 
-- Blaska (4) and Kobayashi (4) combined for eight RBIs.

---