April 14, 2010
Box Score
ROCHESTER, Mich. - Sophomore Kylie Schalz smashed a triple to drive in three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game up at 3-3 and force extra innings, but the Golden Grizzlies were unable to get on the scoreboard in the eighth as the Oakland University softball team (13-26, 5-7 Summit League) dropped a 5-3 decision to Eastern Michigan University (13-20, 3-5 MAC) Wednesday afternoon at the OU Softball Field.
The Eagles struck first in the second inning when Jessica Patterson drove in a run with a single to right field to make the score 1-0. EMU did more damage in the fifth inning when Patterson tripled and proceeded to make it to home plate due to an error by the right fielder and Katy Blaharski scored from third base due to a passed ball to run the score up to 3-0.
After relief pitcher Alison Tansel took EMU down one-two-three in the seventh, Oakland had one more chance to knot the game up in the bottom of the seventh. After junior Marisa Everitt singled to center field, sophomore Kelsey Krych was walked and junior Danielle Peters subsequently singled to third base to load up the bases. Everitt was taken out on a fielder's choice during the next at bat, but senior Katie Dreyer loaded up the bases once more when she was also walked.
Schalz then tripled in the next at-bat, driving home three runs to tie the game up at 3-3 with two outs. Sophomore Leah DiCristofaro couldn't get on base, however, as she grounded out to the first baseman for the third out of the inning and sending the game to extra play.
The Eagles once again got on the board in the eighth when Kaylee Tolliver popped up a sacrifice fly to bring Nellie Coquillard home and a single by Patterson drove in McKenna Russ to take a 5-3 lead. In the bottom of the inning, junior Alyssa Deacon and Everitt both singled to put runners on first and second with two outs, but Krych struck out swinging to retire the side and secure the 5-3 EMU victory.
Tansel (1-7) was charged with the loss, allowing four hits and two earned runs in three innings of work. She allowed no walks and notched one strikeout. Sophomore Brittany Doyle started the day, scattering five hits and three runs, two of them earned, and fanning three batters. Jillian Williamson (3-3) picked up the win, fanning two batters and allowing one hit in 1.1 innings of work.
The Golden Grizzlies scored three runs off 10 hits with one error, while the Eagles recorded five runs off nine hits, committing one error. OU is next scheduled to play IPFW on Friday and Saturday, April 16-17 in Fort Wayne for a three-game series.
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