ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oakland University Softball clinched the 2023 #HLSB Regular Season Championship with a win in game one of the team's senior day doubleheader with Purdue Fort Wayne at the OU Softball Field. 

GAME ONE // OAKLAND 4, PFW 1

The Mastodons struck a single in the top of the first but gained nothing more as the Golden Grizzlies did much of the same the first couple of innings.

In the bottom of the third, Taylor Carraway reached on a fielding error by the PFW pitcher, advancing to second off Madi Herrington's hit by pitch landing on her elbow. Jen Krizka then stepped up to the plate and delivered the first of three triples, bringing unearned runs across for the 2-0 advantage.

PFW received their only run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single to right center field. Oakland quickly had an answer with back-to-back triples by Maci Brown and Herrington that set each other up to score capped off by Reese Ruhlman's double to left center. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Krizka finished with two RBI on a single hit; Brown, Herrington, and Krizka each tallied a triple
• Sydney Campbell locked down in the circle with one earned run in 28 at-bats to advance to 17-6 on the season
• Herrington went 2-2 at the plate with a hit by pitch, one RBI

GAME TWO // PFW 8, OAKLAND 1

After Krizka poked a single through the left side in the first inning, the redshirt junior advanced to second off a Mastodons wild pitch. Ruhlman's RBI single to the shortstop granted Oakland's first, and only, run of the second game as Krizka crossed home plate.

Oakland put three pitchers into the second game with Mia Konyvka starting, Maraina Smith and Hailee Jenkins entering later in the contest. 

Regardless of the outcome, Oakland locked up the 2023 #HLSB regular season title with the win in the first game and two Northern Kentucky losses in the Norse's series with Youngstown State in Highland Heights, Kentucky. 

This is the second-straight regular season title by Oakland, its third overall, entering the tournament as the reigning champions with an NCAA Tournament berth in 2022. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Five Golden Grizzlies smacked a hit in game two, Ruhlman with the only RBI of the match
• Brown earned her second triple of the day 
• Konyvka goes 0-8 on the season with two earned runs in 14 batters faced

Oakland will travel to Green Bay, Wisconsin for the 2023 #HLSB Tournament with the No. 1 seed and the bye, playing in the quarterfinals on Thursday, May 11 at 1:00 pm E.T. against the winner of No. 4 IUPUI and No. 5 Green Bay.