OAKLAND CITY, Ind. – The Spring Arbor University softball team opened its 2020 season on Saturday with a tripleheader against NCAA Division II opponent Oakland City University. The Cougars dropped the first two games of the day, 10-9 in eight innings and 7-1, before bouncing back to win the final contest 1-0 in eight innings.

THE BASICS

SCORES: Spring Arbor 9, Oakland City 10 (8 innings)

Spring Arbor 1, Oakland City 7

Spring Arbor 1, Oakland City 0 (8 innings)

LOCATION: Oakland City, Ind.

RECORDS: Spring Arbor 1-2, Oakland City 2-2

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• Spring Arbor fell behind 7-1 after three innings, but fought its way back into the game. The Cougars scored two in the fourth and two in the fifth to get within two runs.
• Trailing 8-5 in the seventh, SAU plated four runs to take a 9-8 lead. However, Oakland City pushed a run across in the home half of the seventh to force extra innings.
• After holding the Cougars scoreless in the top half of the eighth, the Mighty Oaks walked it off in the bottom of the frame scoring the game-winning run.
• Sarah Matlock and Maddison Brock picked up three hits apiece to lead Spring Arbor. Hope Longenbarger went 2-for-5, including a home run, with two RBI's and two runs scored.
• Kelsey Sturgeon pitched 6.2 innings giving up six runs, but only four earned, while striking out seven batters.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• Oakland City jumped on top again in game two, scoring six runs in the first inning.
• Spring Arbor scored its only run in the third inning.
• The Cougars were held to just two hits and Cora Millay scored the lone run.
• After coming on in relief, freshman pitcher Hannah Laurin limited the Mighty Oaks to just one run over five innings of work. Laurin allowed just two hits and fanned five batters in her collegiate debut.

GAME 3 HIGHLIGHTS

• Offense was at a premium in the final game of the day with pitchers Lauren Wirgau and Oakland City's Ashton Steinbrenner battling it out in an old-fashioned pitchers' duel. Both hurlers tossed shutouts through seven innings, forcing extra innings for the second time in three games.
• The Cougars managed to push one run across in the top of the eighth, and Wirgau blanked the Mighty Oaks again in the bottom half to give SAU its first win of the season.
• Chloe Gignac collected three of SAU's seven hits, scored a run and stole two bases.
• Wirgau went all eight innings in the circle to earn her first victory of the year. The senior pitcher gave up just two hits and struck out eight batters.

UP NEXT

Spring Arbor will head south to Kissimmee, Florida next week (Feb. 28 – Mar. 6) for The Spring Games. The Cougars will play 14 games in eight days during their Spring Break trip.

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