HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Oakland University Softball started off its first Horizon League series of the year with 3-1 and 6-3 wins over Northern Kentucky in double header action on Thursday afternoon. 

GAME ONE 

In this low scoring and high-hitting affair, Oakland's Madison Jones wasted no time as the Romeo native dropped one in center field as Cammie Brummitt did the rest on a two RBI home run shot over the wall in left field for an early 2-0 lead as the Golden Grizzlies tallied three total hits in the first stanza.

Sydney Campbell would face three batters and send three back to the dugout in the bottom of the first as the Norse would respond by treating OU the same in the top of the second before NKU would hit a leadoff double. That batter would be brought across the plate by an RBI single to center as the game was now 2-1.

Oakland went three-up-and-down in the third as NKU would get two more of their 10 total hits but nothing more. OU's chances in the fourth were cut short by a runner leaving early as the Norse would once again tab two hits in the Oakland defense as the score still held at 2-1 with the fifth inning looming. 

Both teams would put four batters at the plate in the fifth, getting nothing other than single hits from each team before the Golden Grizzlies would pop off in the sixth inning with Brummitt being walked, replaced by Allisa DiPrima as a pinch-runner, with Lauren Griffith singling to left, Ariaenna Grammatico pinch-running, as the bases were loaded for OU. Madi Herrington's walk would bring the last run across for Oakland as the team would take its first Horizon League win 3-1. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Jones went 2-4 at the plate with two hits and a run
• Brummitt (1-3) tallied a hit and a run while bringing in a team-high two RBI
• Campbell allowed 10 hits and one earned run with six strikeouts in 30 batters faced

GAME TWO

Oakland started on the wrong side of game two as the Norse would lead 1-0 through two innings played before the bottom of the third proved fruitful for the visiting Golden Grizzlies. It was in the top of the third where Brummitt hit her third home run of the season to tie things up at 1-1 as Griffith would double to right field, brought home by Jen Krizka's double to right center to lead 2-1.

NKU wouldn't be able to respond until the bottom of the fourth inning off a home run to center field to bring two more across and regain the lead at 3-2.

Jones and Brummitt would get on base to start the fifth before a double play would dash any hopes Oakland would have at responding quickly as the OU defense would hold NKU to a three up-and-down half inning.

In the top of the sixth, Oakland would find light as Jessie Munson singled down the left field line and stole second, reaching third along with Shannon Carr on the opposite corner off a Norse error from shortstop to set up the bases to be loaded off Harrington's walk. Reese Ruhlman would bring in two RBI off a fielder's choice to go up 4-3 with Munson scoring off an error by NKU.

Both Herrington and Ruhlman would score off subsequent plays to take a commanding 6-3 lead that the home Norse wouldn't recover from in the seventh. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Jones and Ruhlman tied for a team-high two RBI as the battery would go 1-4 and 1-2, respectively, in their plate appearances
• Brummitt and Carr would lead the team in hits with two each
• Campbell would be credited with the win, coming in at the start of the fifth inning to improve to 6-3 on the year

The Golden Grizzlies will seek the sweep over the Norse on Friday, March 11 for a single game, rubber match at Noon in Highland Heights.