The Oakland Post

Sporting Blitz

By Ryan Hegedus
Posted: Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 11:31 pm | Last Updated: Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 11:31 pm Comments Print This Email This Tweet This Delicious

The Oakland University baseball team (1-5) played a trio of games versus the University of Memphis Tigers (4-6) this past weekend, winning one of the three. It was the first meeting between the two teams.

OU picked up their first win of the season on Friday with a score of 6-4 over the Tigers. Oakland sophomore Matt LaMothe had a no-hitter for 8 innings before Tigers sophomore Drew Martinez tripled to lead off the ninth inning. LaMothe got two more outs before junior Mark Leichtman finished off the game.

LaMothe gave up just two hits, three earned runs, struck out five, and walked three Memphis batters.

Junior Ryan Waldhart led with offense with two hits and three RBIs. Tommy Jablonski was 3 for 5 with one RBI and one run scored, while freshman Aaron Cieslak and sophomore Tim Ryan had two hits each.

The Grizzlies were unable to follow up their impressive win with another, falling to Memphis 7-1 on Saturday. Jablonski had two hits for OU, while junior Tim Ryan scored the team’s only run on a deep fly ball by sophomore Aaron Cieslak in the top of the sixth inning.

Memphis’ offense struck early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first off sophomore starter Kyle Teague. After adding three more runs in the fourth inning, Oakland loaded the bases in the sixth inning but was unable to rally.

In the series’ Sunday finale, the OU offense came alive with seven hits and six runs, but their defense couldn’t keep up, as they fell 16-6. Memphis scored eight runs after just two innings, and sealed the Grizzlies’ fate with a six-run eighth inning.

Cieslak and Waldhart both had two hits each, while junior D.J. Jarrad had two RBIs to go with two runs scored

Oakland’s schedule continues on the road, as they will take on Wright State this Friday, March 12.

Oakland softball (6-13) took on the Morehead State Tournament this past weekend, winning two of their three games.

In Saturday’s game, the Grizzlies fell 4-2 to the University of Pittsburgh (4-7). Sophomore Brittany Doyle pitched six strong innings, giving up just four runs on nine hits. She also had four strikeouts and three walks.

Senior Ashley Sullivan (1 for 3) and sophomore Kylie Schalz (2 for 2) drove home both of the Grizzlies’ runs while senior Katie Dreyer had Oakland’s only other hit.

OU’s offense heated up in their next two games in the tournament; OU beat conference foe IPFW 6-5 and Georgetown College 5-1 in consecutive games on Sunday.

Against the Mastodons, sophomore Leah DiCristofaro went 2 for 3 with two RBIs while freshman Erin Galloway hit her first career home run, a solo shot to center field.

In seven innings of work, Oakland starter Marisa Everitt (1-2) gave up three earned runs on six hits, struck out seven and walked four batters.

In Sunday’s second game, Georgetown College kept the game close; the score was just 2-1 in favor of Oakland after the fourth inning.

OU sealed the victory in the fifth inning, getting doubles in four consecutive at-bats from Dreyer, senior Haley Emerson, DiCristofaro and freshman Dani Dulberg, scoring three more runs. DiCristofaro and Dreyer had two hits each while Emerson drove in two runs.

Doyle, pitching on just a day’s rest, allowed three hits, one earned run, and had five strikeouts.

Oakland opens up their conference season with a road doubleheader against Centenary College on March 12 and 13.