ROCHESTER, Mich. – Extending their win streak to a season-long four games, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies defeated the Rochester University Warriors, 35-4, on Monday, April 10 at the Oakland Baseball Field in a contest that was run-ruled after seven innings.
Oakland improves to 14-17 (7-5 Horizon League), while the Warriors, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school and member of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC), drop to 3-29 (1-17).
The 35 runs the Golden Grizzlies tallied Monday were a new program record and two student-athletes set new individual Oakland records with redshirt sophomore center fielder
Drew Collins scoring six runs and graduate student second baseman
Jared Miller recording three doubles.
Last achieved by current Milwaukee Brewer Mike Brosseau in 2016, the previous Golden Grizzly record of five runs scored had been done four times before.
After redshirt senior right-hander
Brett Hagen struck out the first two Rochester hitters and retired the side in order in the top of the first, Oakland immediately jumped on the Warriors as the first eight hitters reached base and the Golden Grizzlies ultimately plated 14 runs in their half of the frame.
Scoring in every trip to the plate except their last, Oakland registered two more runs in both the second and third, nine in the fourth and eight in the fifth.
Rochester scored twice in both the second and third, with sophomore designated hitter Aiden Alspaugh and junior left fielder Brendan DeFlorio hitting back-to-back big flies for their first runs of the afternoon.
10 Golden Grizzlies recorded multiple hits Monday and 14 collected at least one knock, as Oakland finished with 27 hits, one shy of matching another program record.
Collins, Miller and sophomore third baseman
Brandon Nigh led the charge with three hits apiece and graduate students
Gabe Lux and
Luke Malmanger, senior
Ian Cleary, juniors
Ryan Dykstra,
Brandon Heidal and
Lucas Loos and redshirt sophomore
Reagan Paulina all ended with two.
Paced by two from Collins out of his leadoff spot, his fourth and fifth of the season, the Golden Grizzlies belted six home runs on the day, as Nigh (3), Dykstra (2) and Malmanger and redshirt sophomore
Liam Pollock (1
st for both) also went deep.
For Pollock, a Bishop Foley product, this was a particularly noteworthy feat, as it was also his first career home run.
Working the third and fourth innings and giving up two runs on one hit and a walk, Franklin, Wisconsin freshman right-hander
Jaxson Easterlin picked up his first career win.
North Canton, Ohio's
Tanner Ware, Shadyside, Ohio's
Rhys Francis and Indianapolis, Indiana's
Dylan Haslett, all freshman, and Cave Creek, Arizona redshirt junior
Peyton McGregor saw action out of the Oakland bullpen, as well, combining to toss three shutout innings.
Giving up 10 runs over his third of an inning to begin the game, freshman righty Zach Moenart took the loss for the Warriors, his first of the year.
GRIZZVISION WITH HEAD COACH JORDON BANFIELD
UP NEXT
Playing a road game for the first time since March 26, the Golden Grizzlies will travel to East Lansing to battle the Big Ten Conference's (B1G) Michigan State Spartans at McLane Stadium on Wednesday, April 12 at 6:05 p.m.
Led by 15
th-year head coach Jake Boss Jr., Michigan State is currently 18-10 (6-3 B1G) and will play the Atlantic Coast Conference's (ACC) Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend on Tuesday, April 11 at 6 p.m.
