Box Score Tulsa, Okla. (May 25, 2006) ???C Oakland led for most of the game, but nine walks got the Golden Grizzlies in trouble as Western Illinois came from behind to take a 9-6 win in the first game of the 2006 Mid-Con Baseball Tournament. Kevin Carkeek (Arlington Heights, Ill.) highlighted a five-run fifth inning for Oakland with a three-run home run, but the Leathernecks turned seven of the walks into runs as they came back to take the win. Oakland (19-37) put the first run up on the board, getting a single tally in the top of the second. With one away the Golden Grizzlies got three straight singles from Ryan Heath (Ostrander, Ohio), Chad Winkler (Port Huron, Mich.) and Tim Doig (Farmington, Mich.), with Doig???s chopper over the head of the third baseman scoring Heath from second. The OU lead did not last long, however, as Western Illinois (31-30) put a pair of runners aboard via the walk in the bottom of the inning. With the runners on second and third with two away Steve Knapp beat out a ground ball in the hole at short to bring in the first run. OU shortstop Andrew Stafford (Sterling Heights, Mich.) attempted a play on Knapp???s ball, but his throw was over the first baseman???s head, allowing the second run to score. That is where the score stayed until the top of the fifth. The inning opened when Andy Shepard (Rapid City, S.D.) reached on an error. After a sacrifice, he came around to score on a base hit off the bat of Stafford to tie the game. After a single by Kyle Crepeau (Waterford, Mich.), Carkeek got the big blow if the inning when he slammed a Quinn Leath pitch over the wall in left for his sixth homer of the season. The Golden Grizzlies eventually batted around and added another run on a single from Doig to make it 6-2. Western Illinois got one back in the sixth and then took advantage of OU wildness in the seventh that led to a big five-run inning for the Leathernecks. The Golden Grizzlies got the first out of the inning, but three straight walks loaded the bases. A groundout brought in one run before yet another base on balls loaded the bases again. Nick Simmons then came through with a two-run single to right to tie the game. The next two Western hitters added RBI singles, putting the Leathernecks up 8-6. From there Western Illinois??? Rob Johnson, who came on to pitch in the fifth, held Oakland off the scoreboard. He allowed a pair of runners in the ninth when he hit both Drew Jenison (Jenison, Mich.) and Heath with two away, but got out of the jam by striking out Winkler to end the game. Oakland will now play the loser of the Centenary ???C Oral Roberts game tomorrow at Noon in the double-elimination tournament.