EVANSTON, Ill. – Oakland University Softball bowed out of the NCAA Regional Saturday night as the Golden Grizzlies fell to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 16-1 in the elimination game in Evanston.

Sydney Campbell kicked things off on a cold evening with a strikeout and a groundout to the redshirt sophomore as Notre Dame would get two runs off four hits in the top of the first with two outs as the game floated to the bottom of the frame. Then Oakland would go three up and down to retire the side.

The second inning would result in six more runs for Notre Dame as the Golden Grizzlies would not have an answer for the hot Fighting Irish bats at 8-0. ND would throw three-straight strikeouts as the game moved along to the third inning. 

Things would not get any better for OU as Notre Dame would hang three more runs to push their lead to double digits at 11-0. Oakland would once again go three-up-and-three-down as the fourth inning loomed. 

Two flyouts to the outfield and a groundout to Madison Jones gave the senior enough momentum in her final game in a Golden Grizzlies uniform for her to launch a home run over the left field wall, ricocheting off the nearby Northwestern basketball arena. 

In subsequent batters, Lauren Griffith would be walked as she would slide into second off Jen Krizka's single to the second baseman. Maci Brown would get Oakland's third hit of the night off a slap hit to center field to load the bases as a pop up to the catcher would end the stanza.

Notre Dame would put more on the board in the fifth as Oakland would go down in five innings.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Jones goes 1-3 at the plate with a home run
• Krizka and Brown both received hits as well

The Golden Grizzlies finish 2022 26-17 with the program's first Horizon League Championship since 2015, seven All-League honorees, and three All-Academic team members along with the team's first NCAA appearance since 2015.