March 28, 2009

Final Stats |  Photo Gallery  | Game 2 Box Score

ROCHESTER, Mich. - Senior Jessica Granger (7-7) picked up a pair of wins in the circle, tossing a three-hit complete-game shutout in the opener, sophomore Alyssa Deacon went 4-for-6, driving in four runs and stealing two bases, and junior Angela Righetti finished 3-for-6, with a home run, to lead Oakland University (10-17, 4-4) to a Summit League softball doubleheader sweep over UMKC (6-25, 1-10), 8-0 (5) and 4-2, on Saturday at the OU Softball Field.

"We had to have these two wins today to keep any chance at fighting for a league title," said OU coach Glenn MacDonald. "We really went after them in game one and fought back in game two. We need to keep the same fire tomorrow."

Junior Anne Cicchini went 3-for-6, with two RBIs, while senior Julie Owen drove in two runs with a double and finished 2-for-4, with three stolen bases. Senior Stephanie Schall went 2-for-2 in the opener, finishing the day with three runs scored and two stolen bases.

Granger finished the day with 10.0 innings pitched, scattering nine hits, giving up two runs, no earned runs, struck out 10 and walked just one in the two games. Sophomore Alison Tansel tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief in the nightcap, picking up her first save of the season by allowing just one hit.

The Golden Grizzlies stole eight bases on the afternoon to set a new single-season school record with 50 so far this season, breaking the old record of 46 set in 2002 and '03.

Both teams remained scoreless until the third inning when Oakland broke out with four runs, courtesy of RBIs by Owen, junior Katie Dreyer and senior Caitlin Lynch as the score moved to 4-0.

The Golden Grizzlies would push across four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, thanks to an RBI base hit by Deacon, a squeeze bunt by Owen, RBI ground out by freshman Leah DiCristofaro and single up the middle by Cicchini as the lead grew to eight runs to end the game after five innings of play.

Oakland scored eight runs, on 11 hits and committed one error, while UMKC had no runs, three hits and six errors.

Game two was tougher as UMKC built a 2-0 lead with runs in the first and second inning. Kalene Curry led off with a base hit and moved all the way to third base on a ground out, eventually scoring on a passed ball for the first run of the game. Amanda Evans singled with two outs in the second inning to drive in a run as the Grizzlies trailed by two.

OU was given a gift in the bottom half of the second inning with a pair of Kangaroo errors which loaded the bases with two outs. Deacon then delivered a big two-out double to left-center field that made its way all the way to the fence as the UMKC outfielder dove for it and missed it allowing three runs to score as the Grizzlies took the lead, 3-2.

Oakland tacked on the fourth and final run of the game as Righetti smashed her second dinger of the season to left field as the lead advanced to two runs, 4-2.

The Kangaroos forced Granger out of the game in the sixth inning with a base hit to start the inning as Tansel entered the circle for the Golden Grizzlies. UMKC then reached on an error by the OU third baseman on a sacrifice bunt to put runners at first and second with no outs. The base runners move up to second and third on a ground out to first base, but Tansel induced a short fly out to left field and a ground out to third base to end the threat.

OU scored four runs, on six hits and had two errors, while the Kangaroos scored two runs, on seven hits and had two errors.

The third and final game of the series will be played tomorrow at the OU Softball Field. Game time is set for Noon and can be followed via live stats at www.ougrizzlies.com.

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