GREEN BAY, Wis. – The season came to a close for the Green Bay softball team on Friday afternoon, as they fell in the #HLSB Quarterfinals to No. 1 Oakland at noon and then again in the loser's bracket to No. 6 Youngstown State.

GAME 1 | Oakland 10, Green Bay 2 (F/6)
Oakland struck in the opening frame with a pair of runs. Reese Ruhlman drew a walk to load the bases, and Allisa DiPrima hit a grounder to the left side of the infield that forced a bang-bang play at the plate. Oakland's Madi Herrington slid foot-first just before Sam Saloun had the ball in her glove, giving Oakland a 1-0 lead. The lead extended in the next AB on a Leah Bieniwicz sacrifice fly to center field, making it 2-0 Golden Grizzlies.
 
The Golden Grizzlies kept the line moving in the second inning, adding on three more runs. Kamryn Troyer cracked a one-out triple to left field before Maci Brown reached on an error. Herrington drew a walk to load the bases, and a couple of batters later, Ruhlman cleared the bases with double to left-center, making it 5-0 Oakland.
 
Green Bay answered in the top of the third thanks to a Jadin Justman home run, her third of the season. It would remain 5-1 in favor of Oakland through the fifth before Justman blasted another home run to left-center, cutting GB's deficit to three. The second baseman doubled her season home run total in the game. However, Oakland wasn't finished, responding with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Bieniewicz lined a single to lead off the inning. Later, with two on and two out, Brown ripped a single up the middle, scoring a pair to make it 7-2. Herrington would ensue with an RBI single after Brown swiped third, giving Oakland a cushioned advantage at 8-2.
 
The Phoenix went 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth. In the bottom half, the Golden Grizzlies struck for two more. Bieniewicz lifted a fly ball deep enough to center to bring in Ruhlman, and moments after, DiPrima stole third and then scored on a Saloun throwing error. The run ended the game on a mercy rule and gave No. 1 seeded Oakland a 10-2 victory.
 
Brittany Baneck took the loss for Green Bay after surrendering five unearned runs in 1.2 innings worked. Sydney Campbell, the Horizon League Pitcher of the Year, tossed all six innings and garnered her 18th win of the season.
 
GAME NOTES
» Baneck faced 34 Oakland hitters in the game, allowing two ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out four.
» Seven different Golden Grizzlies collected at least one hit.
» Justman reached base in all three of her plate appearances.
» Oakland was led offensively by Ruhlman, who went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs.

GAME 2 | Youngstown State 9, Green Bay 1
The Phoenix got on the board first courtesy of Justman once again. After Giese laid down a leadoff bunt single, McKay moved her to second on a sacrifice bunt. With Giese in scoring position, Justman torched a double to the left-center field wall, easily scoring GB's speedy center fielder.

Baneck got the ball for GB and had a gem going through the first four frames. She surrendered just two hits, both coming in the fourth, and allowed just four baserunners.

However, the Penguins came alive with a five-spot in the fifth inning. The Penguins loaded the bases and Hailey Niederkohr drew a walk to knot the game at one. The ensuing plate appearance by Conchetta Rinaldi led to a Phoenix error that brought in two runs to hand YSU a 3-1 lead. The line kept moving as Jillian Jakse had a productive AB, grounding out to third, which scored another run. A couple batters after that, Taylor Truran had a hard-hit single, extending Youngstown State's lead to 5-1.
The game continued to unravel for Green Bay in the top of the sixth when Sarah Fessler launched a no-doubter over the left field wall, giving YSU a 7-1 lead.

YSU tacked on another run in the seventh when pulled a fastball down the left field line to plate Jakse and extend the lead to 8-1. Turner would add on an RBI single to right field to make it 9-1.

GAME NOTES
» Justman led the Phoenix at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
» Youngstown State was led offensively by S. Fessler, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
» S. Howell led the Penguins pitching staff, throwing seven innings of one-run ball.

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