Feb. 21, 2009

Mercer Box Score

Radford Box Score

STATESBORO, Ga. - Senior second baseman Julie Owen went 3-for-6, with a double and two runs batted in, junior catcher Angela Righetti finished 2-for-6, with a double and two RBIs, and senior third baseman Caitlin Lynch went 3-for-7 on the afternoon as the Oakland University softball team (0-4) dropped a pair of games on Saturday, 6-3 to Mercer University (6-5) and 5-2 to Radford University (2-1), at the Holiday Inn Eagle Classic hosted by Georgia Southern on Eagle Field.

The Golden Grizzlies scored all five of their runs on the day in the seventh inning, after only scoring in the first inning yesterday. OU had six hits in each game, but went just 5-for-26 (.192) with runners on base.

Getting the starts in the circle for Oakland was senior Jessica Granger (0-2) in game one versus Mercer, tossing her second straight complete game, giving up eight hits, six runs, one earned run and struck out five. Freshman Brittany Doyle (0-1) started game two against Radford, working 3.0 innings, allowing six hits, four runs, four earned runs and struck out just one. Sophomore Alison Tansel tossed the final 3.0 innings, holding RU to just three hits and no earned runs.

In game one against MU, the Bears struck first in the bottom of the third inning after a hit-batsman, stolen base and single by Ellis as OU trailed 1-0.

Mercer struck for three unearned runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth inning on three OU errors and the deficit went to six, 6-0 after six innings of play.

OU did not go down without fight, pushing three runs across in the seventh inning and bringing the tying run to the plate. Owen and Lynch each singled and Righetti doubled after a pair of strikeouts to plate two runs. Freshman Danielle Peters then had a pinch-hit single to score the final run of the game as the Grizzlies fell by three.

The Grizzlies scored three runs, on six hits and committed three errors, while Mercer scored six runs, on eight hits and had no errors.

Against RU in game two, once again the Golden Grizzlies fell behind by four runs, giving up a run in the first and second innings, along with two more in the third.

Trailing 5-0 in the seventh inning, the Oakland bats came alive again as sophomore right fielder Alyssa Deacon reached on a fielder's choice and junior Anne Cicchini singled, both scoring on a double by Owen as the Golden Grizzlies scored two runs in the final inning, falling by three once again.

The Golden Grizzlies had two runs, on six hits and made just one error, while Radford tallied five runs, nine hits and no errors.

Oakland will complete the round robin tournament on Sunday against tournament host Georgia Southern (5-3) tomorrow at 11 a.m.

-30-