April 29, 2012
Box Score
ROCHESTER, Mich. - Trent Drumheller went 3-for-4 and made a key to defensive play to help Oakland (18-25, 9-3) earn a series sweep of Western Illinois (13-28-1, 3-13) with a 6-4 win on Sunday at the OU Baseball Field. The Golden Grizzlies have won their last seven Summit League games and are now tied for first place in the league standings.
"Every win is critical in Summit League play," said Oakland head coach John Musachio. "It was a great team victory and our team made big plays in the key moments. I become more and more impressed with this team as the year goes on."
Holding on to a 2-1 lead, Oakland scored three runs in the sixth. Drumheller had the key hit, a ball off the end of his bat that died just inside the third base grass. Drumheller was safe at first with a single and John Estes scored on the play, but an ill-advised throw by the WIU pitcher to first allowed Robby Enslen to score and put Drumheller at second. Tim Ryan then delivered a two-out, RBI-single to put OU ahead, 5-1.
The Leathernecks continued to battle and scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to make it 5-4. Down by a single run and with two runners on, WIU's Steve Kedroski laced a single to left field. Drumheller quickly fielded the ball and came up throwing to catcher Jake Morton who applied the tag at the plate. The play ended the inning and prevented the tying run from scoring.
The Golden Grizzlies added a key insurance run in the seventh, when John Estes hit a ball to left centerfield that went off the glove of the outstretched WIU centerfielder who was sprinting to try and make a play on the ball. That allowed Ian Yetsko to score from second.
Drumheller led all players with three hits, an RBI and a run scored. Enslen, Morton and Spencer Marentette finished the game with two hits each, as the Golden Grizzlies outhit WIU 11-8. Rich Mascheri had two hits for the Lethernecks, while Dan Dispensa and Matt Igara had two RBIs each.
Oakland starter Brady Adamek (2-4) had four strikeouts over five innings and earned his second consecutive league win. Russell Luxton (7) got OU out of a sixth-inning jam with a strikeout and double play and completed the game to earn his team-leading seventh save of the season. Starter Nick Smith (3-5) ended up as the losing pitcher for Western Illinois.
Oakland has won eight straight games, which were all part of an eight-game home stand that ended on Sunday. The Golden Grizzlies will hit the road for their next nine games, starting on Wednesday with at Northwestern at 4 p.m. ET.
-OAKLAND-
