ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oakland took two games from the UIC Flames this afternoon on the Oakland Softball Field to solidify their series victory over the first place team in the conference.
In inning one of game one, both teams combined for eight runs, UIC scoring two and Oakland rallying back with six of their own. After giving up two hits in the top of the first, the Oakland offense buckled down for a comeback.
Kelsie Swanson led off the inning getting hit by a pitch and
Jessie Munson singled through the left side. Then
Shannon Carr and
Jamie Squires drew back to back walks to push Swanson across home plate.
Mikayela Marciniak kept the inning alive as she hit a sharp ground ball to the shortstop who bobbled it, allowing Munson to score. With the game tied,
Brittney Miller stepped to the plate and hit a single up the middle to score two more runs. Swanson would come around to bat for the second time in the inning, this time singling through the left side scoring Marciniak. Munson would then add her second hit of the inning as she hit an infield single to score Miller, putting the Golden Grizzlies up 6-2.
Haley Bartholomew would keep the Flames scoreless through the sixth where they would go on to score four runs, tying the game.
Shannon Carr led off with a single in the bottom of the sixth, setting the table for her teammates to hit her in. Squires moved Carr over with a sacrifice bunt before Marciniak would ground out to second base pushing Carr to third with two outs.
Kayla Gibson then hit the go-ahead run singling up the middle and giving her team a 7-6 lead going into the seventh.
Emily Karas would enter to finish up the game and got the Flames out in 1-2-3 fashion. Bartholomew picked up her third win of the season while Karas picked up her second save.
Lauryn Debono carried Oakland threw game two as she threw a complete game shutout, giving up only three hits and striking out seven.
Scoring early once again, Oakland jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first as Swanson got on base with a perfectly placed bunt. Munson would lay down a sac bunt to send Swanson to second before Squires would single to score her teammate. Marciniak would go on to double down the right field line, scoring Squires.
Shannon Carr motored a double in the bottom of the third and Jamie Squries hit a single up the middle to bring her around to increase the lead 3-0. Oakland would add two more runs in the fifth and it was all they needed as Debono brought them home for the win.
Squires and Marciniak both tallied two hits and two RBI's each in the second game of the day while Swanson, Munson and Carr would add one.
Oakland will continue play on Tuesday, Apr. 9 as they will host Toledo for a midweek doubleheader in Rochester at 2 and 4 pm.
#WEARtheBEAR
