ROCHESTER, Mich. - Luke Malmanger made the most of his lone at-bat blasting a three-run home run in the eighth inning lifting Oakland to a 9-6 win over Northern Kentucky giving the Golden Grizzlies their second consecutive come-from-behind win in league play on Friday afternoon.
Michael Stygles continued to swing a hot bat also hitting a three-run home run while going 3-for-4 with a double and four RBI.
Brenton Phillips went 2-for-3 with a home run, walk and RBI. Both Malmanger's and Phillips' home runs were the first of their career in an Oakland uniform.
Lorenzo Elion hit 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored while
Brandon Heidal went 1-for-4 with a clutch two-strike RBI single to tie the game at 6-6 in the eighth inning.
Hayden Nierman got the win out of the bullpen for Oakland (13-23, 7-18 HL) allowing two runs, one unearned, on two hits, with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work. Starter
Bryce Konitzer went 7.0 innings with seven strikeouts and a walk in the no-decision effort.
Trailing 3-0 in the fourth inning, the Golden Grizzlies got a pair of runs off the solo shot from Phillips and RBI double from Stygles to score Elion.
Stylges' three-run shot in the sixth inning gave Oakland its first lead of the game at 5-3.
Northern Kentucky (14-23, 11-18 HL) took a 6-5 advantage with a run in the seventh and two more in the top of the eighth. In the bottom half, the Golden Grizzlies bats heated up as
Cam Post and Stygles each reached with singles. Heidal's RBI single plated Post from second base tying the game and setting the stage for Malmanger's three-run bomb which gave Oakland to lead for good at 9-6.
Neirman then closed the door on the Norse striking out the first batter and then getting Andrew Bacon to ground out into a game-ending double play to secure the win.
Both teams with play a doubleheader on Saturday, May 8 beginning at 1 p.m.
Game Notes:
» Stygles led the Golden Grizzlies at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBIs.
» Oakland hitters hit three home runs in the ballgame.
» Konitzer struck out seven Norse hitters.
» Oakland's highest-scoring inning was the eighth when it pushed four runs across.
» The Golden Grizzlies out-hit the Norse at an 11-10 clip.
» Oakland went 5-for-10 (.500) with runners in scoring position.
» Oakland pitchers limited Northern Kentucky to just 1-for-5 (.200) with runners in scoring position.
» Oakland pitchers faced 39 Northern Kentucky hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and 12 fly balls while striking out nine.
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