March 22, 2014

Box Score

FAIRBORN, Ohio - Kaley Waalkes (6-3) pitched all six innings of the nightcap for Oakland with three runs surrendered on six hits with two strikeouts and Jackie Kisman performed well at the plate with three hits on the day as the Golden Grizzlies (10-12, 0-2 HL) dropped both games to Wright State (5-17, 2-0 HL) in their first-ever games in the Horizon League.

"These two results were not indicative of how I know this team is capable of playing," said head coach Connie Miner. "We battled better in the second game than in the first, but we cannot leave as many base runners out there as we did. We have to have better at bats and put our hits in the right places. I expect us to make adjustments and come ready to play tomorrow to finish out the series."

In the first meeting between the teams as conference foes, the slate was kept clean through two innings before Erika Polidori stole second allowing Meghan Tangney to cross home plate in the top of the third inning for the 1-0 lead. The advantage lasted a short while as the lead-off hitter in the top of the third for the Raiders turned on the first pitch and put one out of the park, tying the score at 1-1. Two outs later, Wright State put another one over the fence to gain the 2-1 lead.

Bailee Braunreuther came in to relieve Erin Kownacki (4-7) in the bottom of the fourth inning as Oakland retired six of the next eight batters. In the midst, Wright State gained another run in the bottom of the fifth on a hard hit to center field to increase the lead to 3-1. Three errors for Oakland in the bottom of the sixth inning led to four more Wright State runs for the 7-1 lead late in the game. The Golden Grizzlies were unable to generate further offense and dropped their first-ever Horizon League game, 7-1.

In the second affair under increasingly colder conditions, WSU struck in the bottom of the first inning with a run to lead Oakland 1-0. The score then remained stagnant for three and one half innings until the Raiders strung a pair of extra-base hits together for a run in the bottom of the fifth and the 2-0 lead. Another insurance run for WSU would bring the score to 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning and it was Oakland's last chance at the plate. The bases were loaded and pieces in place for the go-ahead run, but OU could not convert and the second game ended 3-0.

Kownacki threw for three innings in the first game with two runs on three hits and two strikeouts. Braunreuther threw the remaining three innings and surrendered five runs - only two of them earned - on five hits and one strikeout.

The third game of the series has been pushed back in an effort to find playable temperatures and will begin Sunday at 2 p.m.

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