AKRON, Ohio – The Toledo softball team nearly pulled off a big upset over No. 1 seed Miami on Thursday, but after nine hours and three rain delays, the RedHawks rallied from four runs down to pull out a 5-4 walk-off victory in the bottom of the seventh in second-round action of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at the Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.

No. 4 seed Toledo (26-22) now moves into the lower bracket and awaits its next opponent. If No. 2 seed Ohio defeats No. 6 seed Ball State in their game later  Thursday evening, the Cardinals will play No. 5 Central Michigan in Game 6 on Friday at 9:30 a.m. The Rockets would play the winner of Game 6 on Friday at 2:30 p.m. If BSU defeats Ohio, Toledo will play CMU on Friday at 9:30.

Toledo took a two-run lead in the second and was about to lead off the fourth inning when the game went into a five-hour rain delay. Toledo came back and capitalized on back-to-back errors from the RedHawks to double its lead before the game went into a second rain delay in the middle of the fourth. Miami (46-7) scored on a sacrifice fly before the game went into a third rain delay at the end of the fourth. Once play resumed, the RedHawks hit a two-run homer in the fifth, tied the game with a solo bomb in the bottom of the seventh, and walked off with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Freshman Mady Yackee started and allowed two hits in 2.0 innings in the circle. Junior Sophia Knight (15-11) came in as relief in the third and struck out five batters while giving up five hits in the loss.

Junior Kendra VanderLugt led the offense with three hits, including one double, while senior Emily Bracamonte connected on two hits and scored one run.

Due to the weather on Thursday, the updated bracket with matchups and new game times will be announced following the Ohio-Ball State game.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Miami 5, Toledo 4

• Reis Sjoholm scored on a fielding error and Madison Mikulski hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the second to give Toledo a 2-0 lead.
• Miami's Jenna Golembiewski doubled to center field with one out, but Sophia Knight struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
• The Rockets reached base on back-to-back errors from the RedHawks. Eli Enriquez and Emily Bracamonte both scored to make it 4-0 in the fourth.
• Hadley Parisien sacrificed to get Miami on the board with two outs but Knight got out of a bases-loaded jam to end the fourth inning.
• Sami Bewick crushed a two-run homer to cut Miami's deficit to 4-3 in the fifth.
• Toledo had runners on first and second with one out, but Maris Barbato hit into a double play to end the inning.
• Karli Spaid tied the game with a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh. Following a pair of walks and a sacrifice, Golembiewski hit a sacrifice fly to end the game 5-4.