INDIANAPOLIS — The Oakland University softball program split its second doubleheader of the weekend with the IUPUI Jaguars to earn the Horizon League series win on Saturday, March 13, at the IUPUI Softball Complex. The Golden Grizzlies won game two, 12-1, after IUPUI took the opener, 7-5.
Game 1: Oakland 5, IUPUI 7
The Golden Grizzlies (4-4, 3-1 HL) had runners on second and third with no outs in the top of the seventh inning but could not push in any runs, resulting in a 7-5 loss to IUPUI (3-10, 1-3 HL) in the opening game of their conference doubleheader.
A five-run second inning by IUPUI was the difference-maker in Oakland's first HL loss of the season. All five runs were unearned as the Golden Grizzlies committed two fielding errors in the inning.
Senior
Chelsea Wiggins (0-1) got the ball to start for OU and took the loss after allowing four unearned runs on four hits in 1.2 innings of work. Sophomore
Sydney Campbell was a bright spot for the Golden Grizzlies, coming out of the bullpen and throwing 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits.
At the plate, the Golden Grizzlies were once again led by redshirt junior
Cammie Brummitt, who went 1-for-4 on the day with a home run and two RBI. The home run was her team-leading third of the season. Senior
Rachel Zerona put together a noteworthy day at the plate as well, going 2-for-3 with a double. Junior
Lauren Griffith also chipped in for Oakland, putting together one hit in three trips to the plate while adding a double.
OU reached the scoreboard first with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning thanks to three errors by the Jaguar defense.
Jamie Squires led off the inning with a single and proceeded to steal second base before scoring on a fielding error with
Maci Brown up to bat.
The Jaguars responded by scoring five runs in the bottom of the second and held on to a 5-2 advantage into the fourth inning. Sophomore
Jen Krizka hit an RBI single to bring the score to 5-3 in favor of IUPUI in the top of the fourth.
IUPUI built their lead to 7-3 before the Oakland offense got back in action, reducing that lead to 7-5 in the fifth. The Golden Grizzlies added two to their tally on Brummitt's two-run homer to right. The Golden Grizzlies were unable to get any closer, as neither team scored again in the ballgame.
Game 2: Oakland 12, IUPUI 1 (5 inn.)
Redshirt junior
Madison Jones hit two home runs to power the Golden Grizzlies to a 12-1 win in the series finale.
Campbell (2-1) earned the complete-game win in the circle, The right-hander went five innings, giving up one run on three hits, allowing no walks, and striking out one.
Jones went 2-for-4 at the plate, supplementing her two home runs with three RBI. Brown added to Jones' power-hitting performance by going 2-for-3 with a career-best three RBI. Brummitt continued her blistering stretch at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
The Golden Grizzlies did all of their damage in the middle three innings of the ball game. OU, leading 5-1 at the time, broke the game open with a season-high seven-run output in the fourth inning.
OU capitalized on a pair of errors by the Jaguar defense to take a 2-0 lead in the second frame. The Jaguars then gained ground, narrowing the lead to 2-1 until the Golden Grizzlies expanded their advantage in the third. Oakland scored three runs in the frame, buoyed by a two-run single off the bat of Brown, which brought the Golden Grizzly lead to 5-1.
Oakland kept IUPUI scoreless before expanding their lead to 12-1 the following inning. The Golden Grizzlies bats heated up in the inning, scoring seven runs, including a two-run single off the bat of Brummitt and a two-run single from junior
Arieanna Grammatico. The score remained 12-1 for the rest of the game, as Oakland coasted to the win.
The Golden Grizzlies will return to action next weekend for their home-opening series against Northern Kentucky.
Game 1 Notes
» Brummitt hit a home run for the third-straight game.
» Griffith extended her hitting streak to four games.
» Krizka collected her second RBI of the season.
» IUPUI was led offensively by freshman Morgan Gilbert, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
» Junior Lexi Lucas led the Jaguars pitching staff, throwing seven innings of five-run ball.
Game 2 Notes
» Jones matched a career-high in home runs in a game with two.
» Jones and Brown drove in three runs each for the Golden Grizzlies.
»
Jessie Munson stole a team-high two bases.
» Brummitt extended her RBI streak to five games.
» Brummitt extended her reached base streak to 10 games dating back to the 2020 season.
» Krizka extended her hitting streak to four games.
