The Oakland University softball team improved its record to 5-4 within the Summit League (13-22 overall) by taking two of three games in a series against Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis last week.

Oakland split a doubleheader on Friday, April 2 – losing the first game 6-1 and winning 3-1 in the nightcap. The Grizzlies picked up a 4-2 win in the series finale played Saturday, April 3.

“It was very, very crucial for us to win at least two of these games so that we could stay in the running with the other teams in our league,” OU softball coach Jane Zimmerman said.

Senior Katie Dreyer hit her third home run of the season in the front end of the doubleheader and junior Marisa Everitt went the distance in nightcap and recorded eight strikeouts. Brittany Doyle (8-10) received the loss for OU in the first game, as she allowed eight hits and six runs, only one of them earned, and recorded two walks and a strikeout in seven innings.

“We didn’t come out with a lot of fire in the first game,” Zimmerman said. “We played much better in the second game. We played with a lot more energy and did what we had to do.”

The Grizzlies carried that energy over into Saturday’s game, rallying from an early 1-0 deficit to win 4-2. Everitt (4-6) and junior Alison Tansel split the pitching duties in the third and final game, with Everitt pitching the first four innings and Tansel closing the game out. Both pitchers kept the ball down and made scoring runs difficult for the IUPUI hitters.

“They did a great job,” Zimmerman said. “Hansel has been working very well coming in for relief and that was the plan for today because Marisa (Everitt) pitched the whole second game of the doubleheader yesterday so they were getting used to seeing her pitches. I think Tansel coming in, as a different kind of pitcher, kind of threw them off.”

Oakland used a simple technique to produce most of its offense – the bunt. Senior Ashley Sullivan laid down a bunt in the second inning which led to an error by IUPUI and two runs for the Grizzlies. Sullivan advanced to third on the play.

The Jaguars botched another Oakland bunt in the fifth inning, this time on a squeeze play from Dreyer. After the bunt was put in play, senior Anne Cincchini came in from third base and plowed into the IUPUI catcher, knocking the ball loose and leading to two more runs and a 4-1 lead for the Grizzlies.

“Sometimes the bunt works and sometimes it doesn’t and it just happened to work out in favor today,” Zimmerman said. “The squeeze play (in the fifth inning) was a big momentum changer for us.”

The Jags threatened a comeback in the top of the sixth after a double by Laura Wilcox moved pinch runner Kristine Grohnke to third base and sacrifice fly by Sydney Miller brought Grohnke home for a 4-2 score. But Tansel struck out the last batter to retire the side and forced three groundouts in the top of the seventh to secure the win.

Oakland scored four runs off five hits with no errors, while IUPUI recorded two runs off six hits, committing two errors.

“The team is starting to come together now and they are finally seeing what they are able to do,” Zimmerman said. “It’s all about momentum. We need to carry this momentum and confidence into the next two weeks for some big league matchups.

Oakland travels to Western Michigan today (April 7) for a doubleheader with the Eagles. The Grizzlies will resume league play at home on April 9 with a three-game series against North Dakota State.