YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – For the first time in five seasons, Oakland University Softball won its first game of the tournament in the 2022 #HLSB bracket as it defeated No. 5 seeded Green Bay 2-0 Thursday afternoon in Youngstown, Ohio.

Green Bay would get two quick hits off a well-placed bunt and a driver up the middle but a ground ball to Madison Jones would have the arm of the senior sling it across the diamond for the double play. A swinging strikeout brought on by Sydney Campbell would retire the upper half of the first inning.

Oakland would go down in three-straight pop ups to end the inning as the Phoenix once again would get a leadoff hit followed by a throwing error by the Golden Grizzlies got two green and black batters on base. A strikeout by Campbell and a ground out to the pitcher would end the scoring threat as the Phoenix went to the dugout with runners on second and third.

Jen Krizka would get OU's first hit of the day in the bottom of the second, squeezing a shallow ball between diving gloves of the second and third baseman. A double play would then end the inning the to head to the top of the third where a pop-up double play from Reese Ruhlman to Cammie Brummitt would bring the Golden Grizzlies back up to bat.
 

As promised. I mean, look at this:#DefendTheDen pic.twitter.com/VKWwZDJziI

— Oakland Softball (@OaklandSoftball) May 12, 2022

Shannon Carr would get hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the third as Jones would get a double to left center to put both runners on second and third. Brummitt would then send a deep ball to right field that would collide off the wall and result in a two RBI double for the Golden Grizzlies.

In the top of the fourth, Oakland would record two errors to allow the Phoenix to load the bases but a hopper to the Glove of Jones made the throw to Krizka at home easy to move on in the frame. The Golden Grizzlies would go three up and down off two foul outs as the game moved along to the fifth inning.

The Phoenix would go three up and down as Shannon Carr would get a single to fall in center field in the bottom of the frame with two pop ups retiring the side. In the sixth with one out, a fly ball to left field saw Shannon Carr get the diving foul out only to throw it to Jones who cuts off the advancing baserunner from second as she and Jessie Munson would go back-and-forth for the tag and the fifth double play of the day.

MID 6 | Okay, so this is a double play but 🤯

Oakland 2, Green Bay 0 #DefendTheDen pic.twitter.com/8GfeVWYvL4

— Oakland Softball (@OaklandSoftball) May 12, 2022

Krizka would get a double off an error by the Phoenix center fielder with two outs as a foul ball would bring us to the seventh inning and only three outs to go for Green Bay. Three-straight ground outs would retire the side as Oakland would push itself to the semi-finals of the Horizon League Tournament.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Brummitt goes 1-3 at the plate with two RBI to lead Oakland batters
• Jones and Krizka each go 1-3 as well
• Campbell advances to 21-7 on the year from the Pitcher of the Year
• Oakland is now 3-1 against Green Bay this season
• This is now a season-high three double plays in a single game for Oakland
• Jones and Brummitt are riding a four-game hitting streak

Oakland will play the winner between No. 6 seed Northern Kentucky and No. 2 seed Cleveland State to be determined later today as the team's will meet tomorrow, May 13 at 2:30 p.m. in Youngstown.