DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University Softball team split its home opener doubleheader with Akron at Mary M. Bell Field Friday.
 
The Huskies (12-11, 1-1) scored a 3-1 victory in the home and Mid-American Conference opener with Akron (12-14, 1-1) in the first game of the day, before falling 10-3 to the Zips in the nightcap.
 
NIU fell behind, 1-0, in the top of the first after a two-out RBI single. However, the Huskies came back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning, in almost the exact same fashion. With a runner on third with two outs, Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind./New Castle) singled up the middle, this time to the left side of second, to drive in Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central)
 
Pitcher Alex Frenz (Oakville, Mo.) took over from there, keeping the Zips off the board and keeping her team in the game.
 
The Huskies took the lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Harnish and added an insurance tally in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Becca Rupard (Normal, Ill./Normal West).
 
Frenz was lift in the top of the seventh after giving up a leadoff single to Alyssa Nicholas. Tara Thacker (Uniontown, Ohio/North Hoover Canton) came in to record the final three outs and pick up her second save. Frenz picked up the win, improving to 8-2 on the season, allowing one run, on four hits and a walks while striking out three.
 
"I think that's what we expected in that first game," said NIU head coach Christina Sutcliffe. "Akron's got a nice mix of speed and power."
 
The Huskies were not so fortunate in the second game of the day. NIU gave up four home runs, including a grand slam with two outs in the top of the fourth, which broke the game wide open for the Zips.
 
"You have to tip your hat to them," Sutcliffe said. "They made us pay for our mistakes and did a nice job at it. I think we were only one or two hits away from that game being a lot tighter. Kayti had a great shot with the bases loaded. If that ball drops, two or three runs score. The next inning, we had the bases loaded again and came up a hit short."
 
NIU was no hit through the first six and a third innings. Jenny Van Geertry (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) broke up the no-no with a solo home run over the centerfield fence.
 
Akron's Kooper Vertz and Lexie Handley combined to hold the Huskies two three runs on two hits. NIU scored two runs in the fifth without the benefit of a hit as the Huskies coaxed four straight walks and Jessica Rio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield East) scored on a wild pitch.
 
NIU returns to action Saturday when the Huskies conclude their series with the Zips. First pitch is tentatively scheduled for 1 p.m. CT, but could be earlier in the day. Check NIUHuskies.com, or Twitter at @NIUSoftball or @NIUAthletics.
 
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