ROCHESTER, Mich. - After a dramatic 8-5 win in extra innings yesterday, the Golden Grizzlies took the field for a final pair of games to end the regular season against PFW.

Prior to the game's start, the Golden Grizzlies secured the number two seed in the Horizon League Tournament with a win on Friday, setting the table for their postseason run.

Game 1

Oakland wasted no time getting on the board in game number two of the weekend. Just the second batter of the game, Maci Brown singled to center field, adding to her now four hits on the series. After a steal of second by Brown, Ruhlman brought her home with an RBI single of her own as the Golden Grizzlies took an early 1-0 lead.

In the top of the second Oakland struck again, this time starting the inning with a single by Kamryn Troyer. Using baserunning to their advantage, Troyer tagged up on a fly ball to reach second and registered Oakland's second steal in the same amount of innings, stealing third base. She continued to show savvy on the base path, she once again tagged up on a Biniewicz fly ball to center field, scoring to put Oakland up 2-0. 

The aggressive stance on the bases continued as the Golden Grizzlies kicked off the fourth inning as Taylor Carraway was walked and Madi Herrington reached base on a throwing error by the PFW shortstop, which also moved Carraway to third base. Herrington moved up with Oakland's third stolen base of the game, setting up another successful sacrifice fly by Bieniewicz, bringing Carraway across the plate for the 3-0 lead.

Through four innings of pitching, Alyssa Balcom was having one of her best starts of the year, allowing just two hits, retiring 12 of the first 17 Mastodon batters.

Oakland grew their cushion even more in the fourth inning, starting with a Brown single and steal to reach second base. A single by Ruhlman moved Brown to third, placing runners on the corners. With the pressure mounting for PFW, Oakland drew back-to-back walks as Troyer drew four out of the zone pitches to ease Brown home, extending the lead to 4-0.

During the inning Ruhlman stole Oakland's fifth base of the game, marking the most steals in a single game by the Golden Grizzlies this season, previously stealing four bases against YSU (4/5/23).

The Mastodons tried to put on their rally caps on in the bottom of the fifth inning, using a pair of singles by Grace Hollopeter and Bailey Manos, plus an advancement on a wild pitch to put runners on second and third base with one out. Brooke Wintlend drew a walk with the bases loaded, bringing home run number one for PFW as they trailed 4-1. A fielder's choice by Tori Countryman added another run to PFW's tally before an inning ending pop out as Oakland still led 4-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth. 

Mary Newton stepped into the circle for Oakland, tossing a scoreless final two innings to secure Oakland's 4-2 win to go up 2-0 in the weekend series, completing a very solid performance for both her and Balcom in the game.

In their fast-paced first game of the day, Oakland had four different players steal a base, with Herrington (1), Troyer (1), Ruhlman (1), and Brown (2) all bagging a base.

At the plate Maci Brown knocked three hits for the second game in a row, going 3-of-4 to go along with her pair of stolen bases. Ruhlman also went 2-of-4 with an RBI, while Bieniewicz went hitless, but still brought home two runs with crucial sacrifice fly balls.

Game 2

Going back onto the field for their final regular season game, the Golden Grizzlies started with power, as just three batters into the game, Krizka powered a two-run home run to right center field for her fifth homer of the season and 22nd of her career, moving her into sole possession of the second most career home runs in program history.

In the bottom of the inning PFW answered with a run of their own, as Epiphany Hang grounded out to shortstop, hitting a dribbler slow enough to score Hollopeter from third, who previously singled in the frame, to close the gap to 2-1 in favor of Oakland. 

More noise was made by the Golden Grizzlies in the top of the third inning as Jenna Johnston earned her first hit of the series with a leadoff double. After Plitz reached base on a fielder's choice, Ruhlman continued a red-hot series of her own, driving a single through the left side to score Johsnton and put Oakland up 4-1.

With Sydney Campbell in a groove in the circle, PFW kept scratching away at the lead as a Brayden Lickey single to start the bottom of the fourth inning resulted in a run as a costly error by Oakland allowed her to score and keep the gap at two runs by a score of 4-2.

Back at bat in the sixth inning Oakland put one more run to their score, with Mia Konyvka stepping up and smacking a single to left field with one out. Allisa DiPrima pinch ran for Konyvka and found her way home on a Troyer RBI double to put the Golden Grizzlies up 5-2.

On the PFW side, Hollopeter too continued a great series, smashing a two RBI double to left field, pulling the Mastodons to within one run going into the final inning at a score of 5-4.

With just three outs left in the game, Oakland found themselves in a jam. Back-to-back singles and a walk to PFW loaded the bases with one out. No stranger to the situation, Campbell stayed cool ,forcing three weak-hit pop ups to end the game and protect Oakland's 5-4 lead.
With the series sweep, Oakland clinches the number two seed and a first round bye in the Horizon League Tournament. The Golden Grizzlies will take the field at Youngstown State on Thursday, May 9, as they await their opponent for their second round matchup in game five of the postseason.

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