Softball closes out its regular season hanging onto the eighth and final MAC Tournament spot with a one-game lead over the Bowling Green Falcons (21-28, 7-11 MAC) and the Western Michigan Broncos (16-31, 7-11 MAC).

The Huskies (21-27, 8-10 MAC) will open their final weekend with a doubleheader against the Akron Zips (24-13, 9-5 MAC) at noon and 2 p.m. Friday at Lee R. Jackson Softball Field in Akron, Ohio.

They will then take on the Ohio Bobcats (26-22, 10-6 MAC) at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday at Ohio Softball Field in Athens, Ohio.

The Huskies are coming off one of their best offensive performances of the season, downing the Illinois-Chicago Flames, 12-4, Tuesday in Chicago. They are looking to parlay that offensive success into a MAC Tournament berth-clinching weekend.

“If we go 3-1 we’re definitely in,” said head coach Christina Sutcliffe. “If we go 2-2 we have a chance with some hope. It’s better to rely on yourself and not others to get in. And 3-1 will help us continue our momentum going in, and we’ll feel good about things.”

Akron

The Zips enter the doubleheader as winners of four of their last five games, blanking their opponents on three occasions.

At the plate, the Zips present a well-balanced offensive lineup. Five Akron hitters are batting .313 or better, five Zips have scored 18 or more runs and seven batters have driven in 13 or more runners.

The Zips lead the MAC with 79 stolen bases and have been caught stealing only 21 times.

“Akron is an extremely aggressive base-running team,” Sutcliffe said. “I think it’s really going to come down to if we can handle the next play. If we make a mistake it’s one thing, but we need to stay focused and not let them get the extra outs and just knock them out in order. If we do that we’ll have a lot of success.”

The Zips are one of the more disciplined teams at the plate, striking out only 171 times, the second-lowest strikeout total among MAC teams.

In the circle, the Zips’ No. 1 starting pitcher is sophomore Erin Seiler, who is 17-6 with a 1.71 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Sutcliffe said she expects Seiler to start both games for Akron.

Ohio

The Bobcats enter the matchup on a three-game slide, dropping five of their last six games. They have been shut out in four of their last five losses.

At the plate, the Bobcats have hit 36 home runs, the third-highest total in the MAC. They have drawn a MAC-best 140 walks, but they have struck out 289 times, the second-highest MAC total.

In the circle, the Bobcats’ No. 1 starting pitcher is sophomore Savannah Jo Dorsey, who’s 19-16 with a 2.65 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Ohio’s three other pitchers have combined to go 7-6.

“Ohio’s a high offensive team, a high explosion team, so our pitchers need to keep them off balance,” Sutcliffe said. “They’ve had a good season even though they’ve struggled late, but it’s their last home games for their seniors … and I’m sure they’re trying to get into the tournament.”