May 1, 2009

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

BROOKINGS, S.D. - Junior Katie Dreyer tied a single-game school record with a 4-for-4 performance in game one, finishing 6-for-8 on the day, with four runs scored and three runs batted in, senior Jessica Granger (18-13) picked up a pair of wins in the circle, tossing two complete games, striking out 10, and senior Julie Owen went 3-for-6, with a triple and one RBI, to lead Oakland University (23-27, 11-11) to a sweep over South Dakota State University (10-40, 6-16), 10-2 and 5-3, on Friday at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium.

"I was proud on how the girls responded to the pressure of having to sweep this weekend to have any shot at making the league tournament," said OU coach Glenn MacDonald. "Katie (Dreyer) did a great job at the plate, as did many of our girls, and Jess (Granger) was a work horse in the circle. We still have work to do tomorrow and they will be fired up on senior day."

Freshman Kylie Schalz finished the afternoon 3-for-6, with three RBIs, while junior Angela Righetti went 3-for-7, with two runs scored and one RBI. Freshman Leah DiCristofaro smashed a pinch-hit home run, her second dinger of the season, driving in three runs for the Golden Grizzlies in game one.

OU wasted little time in game one getting on the scoreboard, scoring three in the first inning. Dreyer drove in two runs and then scored on a throwing error by the catcher for a 3-0 lead.

The Jackrabbits cut the deficit to just one in the bottom of the third inning as Ashley Durazo drove in a run and SDSU scored an unearned run as Oakland led 3-2.

The Grizzlies scored a fourth run in the fourth inning as Dreyer scored on an error by the catcher to push the lead to two runs, 4-2. Oakland then erupted for four more runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by DiCristofaro and scored two more in the seventh thanks to an RBI single by Righetti as OU went on to win 10-2.

Oakland scored 10 runs, on nine hits and committed three errors, while SDSU scored two runs, on seven hits and had four errors.

In game two, the Golden Grizzlies tallied two runs in the second inning as Schalz singled up the middle to plate two runs and give Oakland a 2-0 lead. SDSU scored a run in the bottom half of the inning on a two-out RBI base hit by Greta Stroh.

Owen tripled with a base runner on in the third inning to give the Golden Grizzlies a 3-1 lead. OU then tacked on a run in the fifth and sixth innings, courtesy of RBI hits by Dreyer and a double by senior Caitlin Lynch as the Golden Grizzlies went up by a score of 5-1.

The Jacks then responded with a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Morgan McCabe doubled to left field to slice the lead back down to two runs, 5-3.

Both teams went down in order in the seventh inning to give Oakland a much needed sweep on day one. OU scored five runs, on 13 hits and had no errors, while the Jackrabbits scored three runs, on nine hits and had three errors.

The third and final game of the series will commence Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The game can be followed on Gametracker at www.ougrizzlies.com.

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