Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score Rochester, Mich. (April 21, 2007) ???C Oakland???s baseball team opened Mid-Continent Conference play with a doubleheader against Western Illinois this afternoon, falling to the Leathernecks by scores of 5-4 in 11 innings and 7-5. Freshman Josh Kozuch (Kawkawlin, Mich.) led the Golden Grizzlies at the plate, going a combined 4-7 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored, while senior Kyle Crepeau (Waterford, Mich.) was also 4-7 on the afternoon. Oakland (13-19, 0-2) jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two innings in the opener. Sophomore Andrew Stafford (Sterling Heights, Mich.) led off the inning with a single and came around to score later in the inning when sophomore Dan Ryan (Saginaw, Mich.) stepped up to the plate and belted a home run to right field. The Golden Grizzlies kept the two-run lead until the top of the fifth inning when WIU (23-15, 5-1) cut the lead in half. Travis Check doubled to left field to bring home Brett Pendell from second base for the 2-1 score. Sophomore Justin Wilson (Blissfield, Mich.) extended OU???s lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run homer to right center, driving home Kozuch who had led off the inning with a double. The Leathernecks knotted the game 4-4 in the top of the seventh with a three-run blast over the left field fence by Check with one out on the board. After that neither team was able to put more than one runner on base in an inning and the game remained tied 4-4 through the end of nine. Oakland threatened to score in the bottom of the 10th, putting two runners on with one out, but Leatherneck pitcher Todd Nelson was able to get the next two batters with a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning without surrendering a run. Brett Pendell drove home the winning run for WIU in the top of the 11th inning with a one-out single to right field allowing T.J. Kistner to score from second base. Junior LHP Matt Trausch (Charlotte, Mich.) started the game for Oakland, giving up eight hits, four earned runs and two walks while striking out six in 6.1 innings. He was relieved by senior RHP Billy Schmieder (Chillicothe, Ohio), who was charged with the loss, scattering four hits and one earned run while fanning three in 3.2 innings. Junior RHP Mike Takashima (Rochester Hills, Mich.) relieved Schmieder, giving up one hit in one inning. Quinn Leath earned the start for WIU, surrendering 10 hits, four earned runs and two walks while striking out three in six innings before giving way to Bryan Faulds. Faulds gave up two hits and struck out one in 2.1 innings of work before Todd Nelson took over, throwing 2.1 innings and giving up one hit, no runs and one walk while striking out one to earn the win. The Leathernecks sent nine batters to the plate and brought home four runs to take a 4-0 lead after one inning. Matt Newquist and Kyle Surprenant each hit RBI singles for Western Illinois. WIU extended its lead to 6-0 in the top of the fourth with a sacrifice fly by Pendell and an RBI double from Cooper Stewart accounting for the Leatherneck runs. Oakland got one back in the bottom of the inning as Ryan???s ground out to second allowed senior Drew Jenison (Jenison, Mich.) to come home from third base and advanced Stafford to second. The Golden Grizzlies put another runner on base as senior Andy Shepherd (Rapid City, S.D.) working the pitcher for a walk, but were unable to bring home another run and the score remained 6-1 in Western Illinois??? favor after four. The Golden Grizzlies turned a double play in the fifth and senior RHP Adam Johnson (Delphos, Ohio) send the Leathernecks down in order in the sixth and seventh innings to keep the score 6-1. Oakland rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to draw within one run 6-5. Shepherd led off the inning with a single up the middle while the next batter, sophomore Rob Merkle (Bay City, Mich.), was hit by a pitch. Senior Ryan Heath (Ostrander, Ohio) drove home Shepherd with a single to center field. Kozuch followed with a two-RBI single to deep center field and later came around to score on an error. Western Illinois added a run in the top of the ninth inning for the 7-5 final. Senior RHP Scott Boleski (Dearborn Heights, Mich.) took the loss for Oakland, giving up three hits and four runs (one earned) in one inning. He was relieved by Johnson, who scattered four hits, two earned runs and a walk while fanning four in six innings. Freshman LHP Andrew Estes (Blissfield, Mich.) threw the final two innings, giving up two hits, one unearned run and one walk. Starter Travis Tolsma earned the win for Western Illinois, giving up eight hits, five runs (four earned) and one walk in 6.1 innings. Joe Rodrigues relieved Tolsma, throwing 1.2 innings before giving way to Nelson, who earned the save in one inning of work. Oakland and Western Illinois will battle once again in a conference doubleheader tomorrow at OU Baseball Field at noon.