MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – Oakland University Softball split day one of competition at The Spring Games at ROC Park with a 3-2 extra inning game against UT-Martin before falling 10-2 in six to Florida International the following game on Saturday.

Game One // Oakland 3, UT-Martin 2 (8 Innings)

The Skyhawks planted two hits right off the rip of the season-opener with back-to-back singles to third base and center field, respectively, though UTM was unable to score after such a strong start. 

Suddenly, between both teams, the offense stalled at UT-Martin went three-up-and-three-down in the second while Oakland did much of the same aside from Leah Bieniewicz's walk through the first two frames.

The Golden Grizzlies did allow a single through the right side in the third, getting bailed out on Sydney Campbell's near-career day with a swinging strikeout while the offense put three up at the plate, all meeting the same fate of an out quickly.

Picking up action in the bottom of the seventh, freshman Kamryn Troyer picked up her first career hit in leadoff action through the left side, advancing to second off Maci Brown's sacrifice bunt to the pitcher.

However, Troyer would be stranded as a swinging strikeout and a pop-up to the shortstop retired the side with the game going into extra innings at Field 2. 

With the runner placed on second, a lead-off double by the Skyhawks saw the first runner come across for the game. An RBI bunt brought two across as a double-play finished top of the eighth to second base with the Golden Grizzly fans in Florida exhaling their breath. 

So now it was Oakland's turn with Reese Ruhlman placed on second base with Madi Herrington reaching first off a hit by pitch, the two advancing to second and third off a wild pitch by UT-Martin. Jen Krizka registered a big-time hit to right-center to bring two runs batted in to tie the game at 2-2.

Allisa DiPrima finished the job with a bunt single to second base, advancing Krizka to second, as Brown re-emerged at the plate after a strikeout by Troyer. The junior battled through her pitches, making contact and hammering in the walk-off single up the middle to bring Krizka home for the team's first season win in extra innings 3-2.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Campbell reached a near career-high in the circle with 10 strikeouts, allowing only five hits in 32 batters faced for the 1-0 record
• Krizka's two RBI tied a career-high that she hit seven times in 2022
• Troyer becomes the first freshman of the group to register a hit and a stolen base
• Oakland started two freshmen in Troyer and Jenna Johnston

THE HERO WE NEEDED. MACI BROWN WITH THE WALK-OFF SINGLE.

Oakland 3, UTM 2 pic.twitter.com/6Ih82Aj9rT

— Oakland Softball (@OaklandSoftball) February 25, 2023

Game Two // FIU 10, Oakland 2 (6 Innings)

Following the emotional high of game one, Oakland had to repeat a short time later with Florida International who homered off the leadoff batter with Mia Konyvka in the circle before the sophomore tightened up and scored a strikeout as a double play ended the first half-inning.

Ruhlman saw a leadoff single to left field get down in the green with Brown doubling to right field to bring home both Ruhlman and Krizka who was walked a few batters earlier to take the 2-1 lead after the first.

Both teams went three-up-and-three-down in the second before the Panthers put up a 5-2 lead after a big third inning where it never looked back.

Oakland finished the bottom of the sixth with Krizka on-base after a single to shortstop as the game was finalized via the run rule with FIU up by eight after five. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Technically, Oakland did average out to two, seven-inning games 
• Konyvka goes to 0-1 in the new season with 11 hits in 25 batters faced
• Brown goes 1-3 with two RBI to her credit, three RBI in total through the two games

The Golden Grizzlies have a single game on Sunday, February 26 at 12:30 pm against Valparaiso in day two of competition at The Spring Games.