May 2, 2009

Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
BROOKINGS, S.D. - Senior Taylor Traub turned in a four-hit day, while senior Andrew Stafford picked up two hits, but the Oakland University baseball team (16-26, 7-12 Summit League) could not overcome the offensive onslaught of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (17-26, 10-8 Summit League), falling 12-4 and 6-5 in a doubleheader on Saturday at Erv Huether Field.

In the opener, the Jackrabbits jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings. OU came back in the fifth inning, using a sacrifice fly and an RBI double by freshman Tim Ryan to narrow the gap to 6-2. However, SDSU responded in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of runs to push the lead back to 8-2.

After an RBI single by Traub pulled OU to within 8-3, the Jacks came back in the bottom of the sixth with a run to push their lead back to 9-3.

The Jacks scored a run in the seventh and two in the eighth to pull ahead 12-3, and the Golden Grizzlies were able to add one more run in the top of the ninth as Traub scored on a wild pitch.

Sophomore Greg Welke suffered the loss, falling to 4-5 on the season after allowing eight runs on 11 hits in 5.0 innings of work.

In the nightcap, it was the Golden Grizzlies who jumped out to an early lead, using a solo homer by Stafford and an RBI double by senior Jonathan Zalenski to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. An RBI single by Traub in the top of the third extended the Oakland lead to 3-0, before SDSU's Jesse Sawyer put the Jacks on the board with a two-run bomb in the bottom of the third to pull SDSU to within 3-2.

OU came back in the top of the fifth, scoring a pair of runs after a wild pitch and a fielder's choice, extending their lead to 5-2. The Golden Grizzlies held the lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, when after a leadoff walk to Billy Stitz, SDSU's Joel Blake blasted a two-run homer to pull the Jacks to within 5-4.

The Jackrabbits then loaded the bases, and a bloop single by Zach Briggs plated the game-winning run to conclude the rally.

Sophomore Dan Augustine suffered the loss, dropping to 1-2 on the season after allowing four runs in 0.1 innings of work. Stafford and Traub both picked up two hits in the loss.

OU and SDSU will conclude their four-game series with a single game at noon Sunday.

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