ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies saw four-straight walks in the 11th inning to come from behind in extras and defeat the Akron Zips, 8-7, this afternoon on the Oakland Baseball Field.
 
The Golden Grizzlies (19-17, 9-6 HL) were led by Ben Clark who batted in a pair of runs, as Brandon Heidal led the team with three hits. Clark was the only other Oakland player to record a multi-hit day.Sean Fekete, who only allowed four hits in five innings, led the team with four strikeouts.
 
The Zips (6-30, 1-14 MAC) were led by Sam Seeker who tallied a trio of hits and tied for a team high with two RBI.
 
The Zips grabbed a pair of hits early but couldn't put anything on the board as the Golden Grizzlies opened the game up in the bottom of the second. Lucas Day waited on an 0-2 count and forced a walk, as Ben Clark came to the dish and hit one far that bounced on the fair side of the foul pole and ruled a home run. Brandon Heidal came up to bat to follow and matched Clark as he drilled one towards right field for a home run to put Oakland up, 3-0, after two.
 
The Zips answered though as it grabbed a pair of runs to make it a one-run game, but the Golden Grizzlies answered and put its lead back to three after three. Reggie Bussey found his way from the plate to second after a single and a steal and made his way home after Lucas Day batted him in. Carter Hain was due up and sent one far to right field for a sacrifice fly as Nigh raced from second to home.
 
Each team held the other scoreless the next two innings before Akron tallied another pair in the sixth to make it a one-run game. Just like before, Oakland answered and made it a two-run game, at 6-4, as Heidal sped from second to home and beat the throw to go ahead by the pair. Akron tallied one more to make it a one-run game as the game held, 6-5, after eight innings of play.
 
The Zips had three more outs to make ends meet and rallied as it scored a run to force extra innings. In the top of the 10th, the Zips had a runner in scoring position, but the Golden Grizzlies buckled down and forced the final outs. Oakland couldn't convert during its at-bats as the game remained tied, 6-6, after 10 innings. Akron put itself ahead as it batted in a run at the top of the 11th as Oakland had three outs to knot things up.
 
Clark got things started with a single up the middle as Liam Pollock came on the base pads for him. A throwing error by the pitcher advanced Pollock to second as Trent Rice found the base pads off a walk. With two on, Ian Cleary came up to bat and, just like Rice, was walked to load the bases with just one out. The Golden Grizzlies were patient at bat as Bussey worked his way through the count and was walked as Pollock crossed the plate, followed by a walk-off walk from John Lauinger as the Golden Grizzlies went on to win in extras, 8-7.
 
Akron outhit Oakland, 10-8, as the Golden Grizzlies committed two less errors than the Zips with two. Five Golden Grizzlies tallied at least a hit as five runners were left stranded, while six Zips recorded at least a hit with eight runners left stranded.
 
The Golden Grizzlies return to the diamond for another Horizon League home series as it welcomes Northern Kentucky to the Oakland Baseball Field. The three-day, three-game series starts Friday (April 19), with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m.