ROCHESTER, Michigan - Oakland University softball opened the Red & Black Challenge on Friday, March 6, at Ulmer Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, with a pair of losses - Northwestern, 5-1, and Evansville, 7-4.
Sophomore Sidney Rayba led the Golden Grizzlies at the dish, finishing the day 3-of-6 with a run and RBI. Redshirt sophomore Madison Jones and junior Shannon Carr had multi-hit days, each connecting for two hits. Jones scored a team-high three runs over the two games.
Freshman Sydney Campbell pitched a complete game against the Purple Aces, giving up a season-high five earned runs. Campbell struck five out while surrendering 11 hits.
Junior Chelsea Wiggins made her fourth start of the season against the Wildcats. Wiggins completed 3.1 innings, giving up three earned runs on three hits. Junior Lauryn DeBono came in as relief, walking four batters in one inning of work. Freshman Marisa Muglia finished the outing, striking out a pair and giving up two earned runs.
The Golden Grizzlies struck first in the day's first game against Northwestern, scoring in the bottom of the first. A fielding error at first put a runner on with one out for Jones. After hitting into a fielder's choice, she came around to score on back-to-back errors by the Wildcats.
Northwestern tied it up in the next frame. After a pair of singles, a sac fly with one out brought a Wildcat across.
Wiggins started to fatigue in the fourth, giving up two free bases on walks and a wild pitch. Both runners came in to score on a single to left center.
A two-run homer in the sixth added insurance for Northwestern, 5-1.
From the fourth inning on, Oakland put only one runner in scoring position. Nine Golden Grizzlies were left on base.
In game two of the day, Oakland scored first once again - putting two tallies on the board. Carr and Jones singled at the top of the order before freshman Jen Krizka watched ball four to load the bases with one out. One run came across on a wild pitch, followed by a second thanks to a single by Rayba up the middle.
Evansville connected for two singles, putting a runner on third on a throwing error. A sac fly cut the Golden Grizzlies' lead in half.
The second inning decided the game, as the Purple Aces scored five runs. An error to lead off the side set the tone for a five-hit frame. A two-run home run highlighted the damage in the inning.
Oakland would score a tally in the fifth and sixth, but the deficit would be too much to overcome.
The Golden Grizzlies continue play at the Red & Black Challenge on Saturday, March 7, against Illinois and Evansville.
