March 21, 2012
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
DETROIT - Leah DiCristofaro tied a school record with three home runs in one day and drove in six runs, while Abbie Richardson threw a complete-game shutout and drove in two runs, as the Oakland softball team split a pair of games at Detroit, losing the first game, 10-7, and winning the second game, 9-0, in five innings, at Buysee Ballpark Wednesday afternoon.
"We battled back and finished the day with a good win," said head coach LaDonia Hughes. "We still need to cut down on the walks, execute better with runners on base and learn to close out games when we put up that many runs offensively. All in all this is good momentum going into conference play this weekend."
DiCristofaro blasted two home runs in the first game and one in the second game, tying Ericka Burns who hit three home runs in a doubleheader against UMKC on April 14, 2001 at UMKC.
In the first game, Oakland jumped out to a three-run lead in the first inning as DiCristofaro hit a two-run home run and Shannon Cleveland scored on a fielding error. With the score 4-0, Detroit scored two runs on a Alyssa Schaub double in the bottom of the second inning but Oakland answered in the top of the third with a solo home run by DiCristofaro.
Oakland pushed the score to 7-4 in the fourth inning as Erika Polidori scored on a fielding error by the third baseman and Cleveland drew a bases loaded walk. Detroit would counter with a six-run fifth inning led by a three-run home run by Vanessa Garcia for the final score of 10-7.
Bailee Braunreuther (0-7) suffered the loss throwing 3.0 innings in relief giving up six runs, five earned. The Titans' Karyn McCarty earned the win throwing 5.0 innings in relief, giving up three runs, two earned, and striking out one batter.
In the night cap, Richardson (2-0) threw 5.0 innings, giving up no runs, surrendering three hits and striking out a batter to earn the victory.
Oakland jumped out to an early lead as Dicristofaro hit an RBI double down the right field line and Richardson hit a single to drive in a run in the first inning. In the third inning, DiCristofaro blasted a two-run home run for her third of the day and Jackie Kisman had an RBI single. OU would push two more runs across in the inning on an error by the second baseman to make the score 8-0.
The Golden Grizzlies scored one run in the fourth inning as Richardson drove in her second run of the game, grounding out to second to score Chelsea Carena for the final score of 9-0.
Oakland will open up its home schedule this weekend as they host North Dakota State for a three-game series starting with a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 3 p.m. at the OU Softball Field.
-OAKLAND-
