March 21, 2009

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

Macomb, Ill. - Senior Jessica Granger (5-7) tossed 4.2 strong innings, giving up six runs, one earned run, two hits and struck out four, and senior Caitlin Lynch went 2-for-3 in the nightcap, but Western Illinois (10-13, 5-0) swept Oakland University (8-16, 2-3), 6-0 and 5-0, on Saturday in Summit League softball action at McKee Stadium.

"We continue to put ourselves in holes with bad defense," said OU coach Glenn MacDonald. "You cannot give teams like Western Illinois second and third opportunities to score runs and expect to win."

WIU senior Kamren Ferguson (6-6) tossed back-to-back complete-game shutouts, scattering eight hits and struck out 14 in 14.0 innings pitched. Sophomore Marisa Everitt (2-2) took the loss in game two, throwing 5.0 innings, allowing 10 hits, five runs, five earned runs and fanned ofour.

Adding hits in game one for the Golden Grizzlies were seniors Julie Owen and Stephanie Schall, junior Katie Dreyer and sophomore Alyssa Deacon. Sophomore Alison Tansel worked 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

In game one, the Westerwinds took advantage of two Oakland errors in the bottom of the first inning, one with the bases loaded and two outs that allowed three runs to cross the plate as WIU led 3-0.

Errors proved costly again for the Golden Grizzlies in the fifth inning, committing two more that led to three more runs, one earned, as Jamie Goss homered to left field following an error by the OU third baseman as the Westerwinds increased their lead to six runs.

OU had no runs, four hits and committed four errors,while WIU scored six runs, on four hits and had no errors.

WIU jumped on top of the Golden Grizzlies in game two, scoring three runs in the first inning, highlighted by a two-run home run by junior Lauren Furgala as OU trailed 3-0.

The Westerwinds used the long ball again, this time in the sixth inning with another two-run home run, this time off the bat of sophomore Nikki Marinec as OU fell by a count of 5-0.

OU had no runs, four hits and two errors, while WIU tallied five runs, 11 hits and no errors.

The two teams will play the third and final game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The game can be followed via live stats at wiuathletics.com.

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