Feb. 16, 2013

Box Score

PANTHERSVILLE, Ga. - Erika Polidori and Sarah Hartley each hit home runs, while Erin Kownacki(1-0) pitched 5.0 innings for the win in the circle, to lead Oakland (1-0) to a 13-5 win over Presbyterian College (2-5) on Saturday at Bob Heck Field in game one of the Georgia State Tournament. The Golden Grizzlies won their first season opener since the 2007 season.

"It was a great day for OU softball," said OU Coach Connie Miner. "It was a total team effort. Erin pitched a solid game and Laura (Pond) came in and shut them down. We played great defense and our offense was on fire. Very aggressive and confident."

Whitney Weston finished a perfect 4-for-4, with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Hartley drove in four runs for the Grizzlies and Polidori went 3-for-5, with three runs scored and two RBIs. Weston's four hits ties a single-game school record.

Erin Galloway posted a 2-for-5 performance with two RBIs, and Laura Pond closed out the game in the circle, throwing the final 2.0 innings, allowing one hit, one run and fanned four. Kownacki scattered eight hits, four runs, walked three and struck out three for the win.

"Whitney was 4-4 with a triple, Sarah, Erika and Erin hit the ball hard all day long," said Miner. "I am very proud of their full out effort today."

Abbie Richardson added two hits for the Golden Grizzlies and drove in one run. OU outhit the Blue Hose, 14-9.

Courtney Lawton led PC at the plate, going 2-for-3. Sydney Seigler (0-3) took the loss in the circle for the Blue Hose, throwing 4.0 innings, allowing eight hits, seven runs, four earned runs and struck out three.

Galloway gave OU an early 1-0 lead on a two-out RBI single up the middle in the first inning and the Golden Grizzlies scored two more in the second inning, highlighted by an RBI double by Hartley.

PC scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning, thanks to five straight hits as OU's lead was down to one, 3-2.

Galloway and Weston each drove in a run for the Grizzlies in the third inning to extend the lead to three, 5-2. After the Blue Hose scored a run in the third and fourth innings, the Golden Grizzlies scored three in the fifth, thanks to a three-run home run by Hartley to right field to give OU an 8-4 lead.

Oakland would plate three unearned runs in the sixth inning and Polidori smashed a two-run home run in the seventh inning to extend the lead to eight, 13-5.

The Golden Grizzlies scored 13 runs, on 14 hits and committed one error, while the Blue Hose scored five runs, on nine hits and had four errors.

OU will play two games on Sunday against Northern Kentucky (10 a.m.) and tournament host Georgia State (3 p.m.). All games can be followed via live stats here.

#FightOakland