BOCA RATON, Fla. – Oakland University Softball saw both ends of walk-off jubilation and defeat as the team split the day in Boca Raton, Florida on Thursday with a 5-4 extra-inning win over Winthrop and a 2-1 loss to host FAU at the FAU Softball Complex. 

Game One // Oakland 5, Winthrop 4 (8 Inn.)

The Eagles wasted no time in the top of the first, scoring a single run to turn the pressure up early on. Winthrop piled on two more runs in the top of the third as Oakland had only registered two hits in that amount of time. 

Two fly-outs preceded Allisa DiPrima coming to the plate as the White Lake native singled up the middle for a base hit, advancing to second from Jen Krizka's single down the left field line. Reese Ruhlman planted an RBI on the stat sheet when she single up the middle, waving DiPrima home as the third would finish 3-1, still in favor of Winthrop.

Both offenses stalled, leaving a runner or two on base for the next two stanzas. It wasn't until DiPrima was hit by pitch to start off the bottom of the fifth that the first Golden Grizzly home run was registered by Krizka, tying the game three all.

At the end of seven innings, it was going to take extras to decide a winner in the first game of Oakland's doubleheader. An RBI single up the middle allowed for the placed base runner to score as the Eagles added a single run to the board 4-3.

Taylor Carraway to start Oakland's half of the eighth, reaching third off an error by the Eagles' shortstop that allowed for Madi Herrington to reach first while she stole second. Maci Brown's sac fly error by left field allowed for the hoosier to hit first, sending Carraway home for the unearned run.

Both Brown and Herrington stole second and third while DiPrima was walked on the subsequent at-bat. With the bases loaded, a patient Krizka saw ball four fly by as Herrington was pushed home for the walk-off walk win. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Krizka's three RBI tie a career-high that was set in Oakland's game against Valparaiso
• The Joliett, Illinois native went 2-3 at the plate with two walks
• Freshman Kamryn Troyer hit a double, the only one for the Golden Grizzlies
• Mia Konyvka earned her first win of the year in the eight innings with three earned runs in 35 batters faced

Game Two // FAU 2, Oakland 1

After starting out the game three-and-out at the plate, Oakland saw a leadoff double in the second by Krizka to right center with Ruhlman subsequently single down in left field. Both upperclassmen would be stranded, however, as two ground outs and a swinging strikeout retired the side.
FAU scored a run in the bottom of the third, taking a 1-0 lead with Oakland going three-and-out on their next chance at the plate. Troyer's triple to left center in the top of the fifth allowed for the freshman to stay in scoring position, crossing home via Jenna Johnston's groundout to shortstop.

The game stayed pat at 1-1 as the Golden Grizzlies saw three-up-and-down in the top of the seventh to try and take the lead. The host Owls saw a double to left center land with the runner scoring off an OU error and a sac fly, handing the Golden Grizzlies a 2-1 loss.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• This was Troyer's first career triple in a game
• Five Golden Grizzlies registered a hit in the loss
• Sydney Campbell had two earned runs in five hits with 28 batters faced, moving her to 2-2 on the year

A single game against Illinois State at 7:00 pm on Friday, March 3 awaits the team in Boca Raton on the same FAU Softball Complex.