Eagles Split a Doubleheader at Oakland

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University softball team split a doubleheader with Oakland University here Wednesday, April 30 at the OU Softball Field. The Eagles won the first game, 2-0, before dropping the second game, 7-5. The Eagles are now 14-27 (5-9 MAC) on the season.

Senior Ashley Strauss (Trenton, Mich.-Trenton) hit two doubles on the afternoon, giving her 39 for her career. She is now only four behind Melissa Drouillard’s all-time mark of 43.

The Eagles blanked the Golden Grizzlies in the first game, 2-0, as freshman Kari Chambers (Woodstock, Ga.-Woodstock) pitched a complete game shutout, her second of the season. In 7.0 innings, she gave up six hits while striking out a career-high seven batters, en route to upping her record to 5-13.

Neither team could find the rhythm offensively, as the teams combined for just 11 hits in the first game of the afternoon. EMU totaled five, led by Strauss, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored.

After four innings of scoreless play, the Eagles put a run on the board in the fifth inning when freshman Lauren Delapaz (Plymouth, Mich.-Canton) ripped an RBI double to the gap in right center to put the Eagles up, 1-0.

In the sixth inning, Strauss picked up her second hit of the contest, knocking a double over the right fielder’s head. With Strauss on third after a sacrifice by junior Heather Han (Lafayette, Ind.-McCutcheon), senior Jessica Grant (Grand Rapids, Mich.-Forest Hills Northern) singled up the middle to score Strauss and put the Eagles on top, 2-0 at the end of six. OU could not muster any offense in the sixth or seventh, giving EMU the win.

In the second game of the twinbill, Oakland found the offense and jumped out to an early 6-0 lead. OU took advantage of three Eagle errors in the second inning, scoring six runs in the frame. The Eagles would then clamp down defensively, slowly making their way back into the game.

EMU closed the gap in the third inning, scoring two runs off a Han triple to left field to make the score 6-2 in favor of the Golden Grizzlies. The Eagles kept the momentum, scoring another two runs in the fourth inning. After Lindsay Ritz (Garden City, Mich.-Garden City) walked, Michelle Hletko (Westmont, Ill.-Westmont) singled to right field. Senior Stephanie Sabo (Allen Park, Mich.-Cabrini) singled to score both runners, bringing the Eagles within two, 6-4, after four innings.

The Eagles put up another run in the fifth inning, bringing them within a run, 5-4. Strauss started the inning off with a triple to left, scoring on a Grant fielder’s choice to cut the OU lead to one.

With the score finally cut to 6-5, the Golden Grizzlies pushed the lead back to two, 7-5, in the bottom of the fifth inning off an Angela Righetti homer. EMU could not keep the rally going, losing 7-5.

Hletko (1-3) was charged with the loss, allowing six hits and six runs, all unearned. Offensively, the Eagles had six hits with Strauss and Sabo both notching two hits, while Han had two RBI.

The Eagles conclude Mid-American Conference play this weekend, traveling to Buffalo, N.Y. and Kent, Ohio. First up for EMU is a doubleheader at Buffalo Friday, May 2, with first pitch at 1 p.m. EMU will then play single games against Kent State. The Eagles and Golden Flashes will square off Saturday, May 3 at 2 p.m. and Sunday, May 4, at 1 p.m.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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