The Oakland University Golden Grizzlies softball team went 3-0 in a three-game series against the University of Detroit Mercy Titans on April 9-10 at the Oakland Softball Field.

Game One

The Golden Grizzlies started off the series strong with a 4-0 win. Jen Krizka and Sydney Campbell proved to be the stars of the game, with strong hitting and pitching performances respectively.

Campbell found out the Titan’s offensive tenacity early on in the game, giving up three hits in the first inning. Still, the Oakland team managed to escape the inning before the Titans got the chance to score.

Krizka gave the Golden Grizzlies the 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first after blasting a two-run homer over the center-field fence, allowing Madison Jones and herself to score.

Despite the Titan’s offensive battle in the first inning, Campbell entered the second inning looking strong. The Golden Grizzlies’ pitcher picked up three strikeouts in a row to cap off a quick inning.

To start off the bottom of the second, Maci Brown fired up the offense with a lead-off triple. With Brown in scoring position, Allisa DePrima blasted an RBI single to midfield to bring the Golden Grizzlies’ lead to 3-0.

The third inning kicked off with yet another strikeout from Campbell. In the bottom of the inning, Shannon Carr hit a sac fly to allow her teammate Arieanna Gramatico to score, pushing Oakland’s lead to 4-0.

Campbell quelled the Titan’s hope for a comeback, going on to record seven additional strikeouts, bringing her game total to a career-high of 11 strikeouts and securing the 4-0 win for the Golden Grizzlies.

Game Two

The Golden Grizzlies entered day two of the series with a bang. The Oakland team captured the 1-0 lead early in the first inning after Lauren Griffith blasted an RBI double to left field.

The Titans battled back in the third inning. Taryn Peru fired an RBI single to tie up the game.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Golden Grizzlies were determined to regain control of the game. After a fielding error by the Titans’ shortstop, Allisa DiPrima and Madison Jones scored back-to-back runs for Oakland to bring the score to 3-1.

Griffith hit an RBI single to keep the rally going for the Golden Grizzlies. Arienna Grammatico scored to bring Oakland’s lead to 4-1.

The Titans fired up their bats in an effort to make a fifth-inning comeback. Piper Roth brought the score to 4-2 after hitting an RBI single to left-center.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Maci Brown hit an RBI single to bring the score to 5-2. Jones closed out the game with a two-run homer to center field, securing the 7-2 win for the Golden Grizzlies.

Game Three

The last game of the series started off rough for the Golden Grizzlies, as the Titans took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning.

The first two innings remained scoreless for the Oakland team, as they struggled to fire up their bats. However, the Golden Grizzlies sparked their offensive momentum in the bottom of the fourth.

Lauren Griffth hit a two-run double to right-center to tie up the game 2-2. Jen Krizka followed Griffith with an RBI single, allowing the Golden Grizzlies to take a 3-2 lead.

Shannon Carr continued Oakland’s rally with an RBI single to shortstop. The Oakland team finished the fourth inning with a 4-2 lead.

The Golden Grizzlies continued to shine in the fifth inning. Cammie Brummitt connected on a two-run home run to the right-center, bringing the score to 6-2.

In the sixth inning, Madison Jones scored another run for the Golden Grizzlies after a fielding error made by the Titans’ second baseman. The Golden Grizzlies completed their 3-0 series sweep with a 7-2 win.

Oakland Softball Team Head Coach Lauren Karn was extremely pleased with the weekend performance, saying, “We played as a team today.”

Oakland will play their next series at the University of Illinois Chicago on April 15-16 in Chicago. The Golden Grizzlies must be prepared to take on the Flames, a team that has often proved to be a competitive matchup.