YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The Oakland University softball program went 1-1 in the opening day of the Horizon League Championship at YSU Softball Field. The Golden Grizzlies lost a 5-1 decision to the No. 3 seed UIC Flames in their first game of the afternoon, but bounced back with a 5-4 elimination game victory against the No. 4 seed Robert Morris Colonials.
The win over RMU advanced Oakland into the next round of the conference tournament. The Golden Grizzlies will play the loser of game four between UIC and Youngstown State at 3 p.m. on ESPN+.
Game 1: UIC 5, Oakland 1
The Golden Grizzlies fell to the UIC Flames 5-1 in the opening round of the Horizon League Championship. The score was tied 1-1 at the end of the fourth inning, but the Flames tacked on four unanswered runs in the final three innings of play.
Offensively, Oakland was led by sophomore
Jen Krizka, who went 1-for-3 in the game with a double and an RBI. Redshirt junior
Madison Jones strung together a team-high two hits and scored the Golden Grizzlies' lone run of the contest. Junior
Lauren Griffith and senior
Rachel Zerona added singles in the loss.
OU had opportunities throughout the game but stranded a total of eight baserunners. The Golden Grizzlies' one run was their lowest offensive output since April 24 against UIC.
Sophomore
Sydney Campbell (16-6) earned the decision in the circle for Oakland (25-15, 23-11 HL). The right-hander went seven innings, giving up five runs, three earned, on eight hits, allowing one walk and striking out six. Heading into the seventh inning, she had allowed just two earned runs on six hits.
UIC (27-21, 23-11 HL) struck first, as Horizon League Player of the Year Kayla Wedl cranked a solo home run in the top of the third inning. The Golden Grizzlies evened the score in the bottom of the frame thanks to Krizka's two-out RBI double.
Another solo homer put the Flames back in front, 2-1, in the top of the fifth inning. UIC combined for three unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh inning to clinch the tournament victory.
Game 2: Robert Morris 0, Oakland 5
Timely hitting combined with Zerona's four diving catches propelled Oakland to a 5-4 win over Robert Morris in the conference elimination game.
Redshirt junior
Cammie Brummitt led the way offensively for the Golden Grizzlies, going 2-for-4 in the ballgame with a double and two RBI. Krizka delivered another noteworthy performance, going 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, and two RBI. Griffith helped out, going 1-for-2 for Oakland with a double, a walk and an RBI. Jones also impressed with a double, a walk, and a team-high two runs scored.
Campbell earned the win in the circle for the Golden Grizzlies. The sophomore pitched her second complete game of the day, giving up four runs on five hits, allowing two walks and striking out three. She limited the Colonial offense to no runs on just one hit through six innings of play. However, RMU (25-19, 20-14) tagged Campbell for four runs on four hits in the seventh frame.
The Golden Grizzlies reached the scoreboard first, starting in the fourth inning. Oakland got on the board thanks to Griffith's RBI double.
The Colonials had threatened in the top half of the fourth inning with a runner on second base with one out, but Zerona made a run-saving diving catch to prevent RMU from taking the lead.
OU carried its momentum into the fifth inning with four runs, highlighted by two-run doubles off the bats of Brummitt and Krizka.
The Golden Grizzlies 5-0 advantage remained intact until the bottom of the seventh inning, when Robert Morris exploded for four runs. However, Campbell punched out RMU's Charlotte Grover for the final out of the contest to secure the 5-4 tournament win.
Oakland will return to action tomorrow at 3 p.m. to face the loser of game four between UIC and Youngstown State.
Game 1 Notes
» Jones extended her hitting streak to 18 games.
» Jones tallied her 18th multi-hit game of the season.
» Griffith extended her hitting streak to 12 games.
» Campbell recorded her 17th complete game of the season.
» Campbell limited UIC to just 1-for-9 (.111) with runners in scoring position.
» Campbell faced 31 UIC hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and five fly balls while striking out six.
» Krizka led the Golden Grizzlies at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
» Krizka tallied an RBI for the fifth time in the last six games.
» Oakland stranded eight baserunners on base.
» UIC was led offensively by senior Kayla Wedl, who went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.
» Freshman Marley Hanlon led the Flames pitching staff, throwing seven innings of one-run ball.
Game 2 Notes
» Jones extended her hitting streak to 19 games.
» Jones scored two or more runs in a game for the 17th time this season.
» Griffith extended her hitting streak to 13 games.
» Krizka tallied an RBI for the sixth time in the last seven games.
» Brummitt led the Golden Grizzlies at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
» Brummitt tallied her 19th multi-hit game of the season.
» Campbell recorded her 18th complete game of the season.
» Campbell faced 28 Robert Morris hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and nine fly balls while striking out three.
» The Golden Grizzlies out-hit the Colonials at a 7-5 clip.
» Robert Morris was led offensively by senior Alaina York, who went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
» Senior Madison Riggle led the Colonials pitching staff, throwing four innings of one-run ball.
