Rochester, Mich. – In a contest that featured 30 runs and 31 hits, the Golden Grizzlies topped the Northern Illinois Huskies, 16-14, on Friday, April 15 in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
This game was the first of a scheduled doubleheader. The second game, which will only be seven innings, was suspended due to darkness with Oakland leading 9-4 after four innings and will resume Saturday, April 16 at 2 p.m.
With this victory, the Golden Grizzlies move back to .500 at 16-16, including an 8-3 mark at home, while the Huskies fall to 6-26.
Highlighted by a three-RBI double by graduate student center fielder
Seth Tucker and a two-run home run by second baseman
Brad Goulet, a fellow graduate student, Oakland jumped out to a 9-2 lead after four innings of play.
Goulet's dinger, his fifth of the season, extended his hit streak to 11 games.
Northern Illinois would come roaring back, however, scoring seven times in the fifth to tie the contest, with Dominican junior designated hitter Carlos Aranda providing the biggest swing, a three-run blast to left center.
A pair of sixth-inning singles, the first by senior third baseman
Jared Miller and the second off the bat of redshirt senior right fielder
Brenton Phillips, put the Golden Grizzlies back on top, 12-9.
Once again, the Huskies would not go quietly, taking a 13-12 lead on a three-run shot by sophomore third baseman Mason Kelley in the eighth.
Thanks to Phillips' fourth home run of the year – and his third in the last nine games – and a two-RBI triple by senior first baseman
Gabe Lux, Oakland continued this pattern of alternating the lead in their half of the eighth, moving ahead, 16-13.
Northern Illinois would cut the margin to two, 16-14, in the ninth, but redshirt senior left-hander
Christian Stelling was able to induce a comebacker off the bat of Kelley to seal the deal.
Working the sixth through eighth innings, sophomore righty
Brandon Decker earned his third win of the season.
Redshirt junior
Brett Hagen, also a right-hander, started for the Golden Grizzlies, allowing eight runs on as many hits over 4.2 innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
Inheriting a two-on, two-out jam, Stelling picked up the first save of his Oakland career.
Handling the final six outs for the Huskies, freshman lefty Tommy Meyer was tagged with the loss, dropping him to 0-2.
"The Postman" returns
Missing the last seven games with a left shoulder injury, graduate student
Cam Post, a Second Team All-Horizon League selection a year ago, made his return Friday, pinch-hitting for freshman left fielder
John Lauinger in the sixth.
While Post would go down swinging, his presence is a major plus for the Golden Grizzlies, as the right-handed hitter is slashing .237/.321/.290 with five doubles, 12 RBI, and eight stolen bases in 10 attempts in 25 games in 2022.
Saturday's docket
In addition to completing their suspended game, the two teams will play a full nine-inning game afterward, completing their three-game set.
The series finale will begin approximately 30 minutes after the completion of Friday's halted contest.
