YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The bats were hot in the Green Bay softball team's opening game of the Horizon League Championships, as the Phoenix took down the No. 4 Oakland Golden Grizzlies 11-4. Sidney LaMotte had a massive day to lead the offense, finishing 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double, and five RBI.
Paeton Kringel was just as good on the opposite side of the ball, throwing 6.1 innings of scoreless ball to get the win. She entered the game down 4-0 in the first inning and held the Oakland offense there the rest of the game. Kringel allowed five hits and struck out seven.
Sara Ebner was another leading bat for the Phoenix offense, finishing the game 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Emily Jones went 2-for-3 with two walks, two RBI, and a home run. Gracie Anderson was the final Phoenix with double-digit hits, going 2-for-5 with two RBI.
HEAD COACH SARA KUBUSKE
"PK did a great job shutting them down, which allowed us to continue to battle every pitch," said head coach Sara Kubuske. "Our motto this season has been 'you might be down, but you're never out.' I think today was a prime example of that coming to fruition."
HOW IT HAPPENED
After falling behind 4-0 in the first, LaMotte helped the Phoenix respond in the top of the second with a solo shot. The Phoenix kept the pressure on, scoring three more runs in the third inning to tie it at four after Jones' two-run homer and an RBI double from Ebner.
That 4-4 tie then turned into a 6-4 Green Bay lead in the fourth. The Phoenix got run-scoring doubles from Anderson and LaMotte.
Green Bay broke the game open in the sixth, thanks to a three-run home run from LaMotte, followed up by a fielder's choice RBI from Claire Coushman to make the score 10-4. Anderson doubled home Guse in the seventh to make it 11-4, which was the final score.
GAME NOTES
» Four Phoenix had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» Green Bay hitters hit three homers in the ballgame.
» The Phoenix out-hit the Golden Grizzlies at a 14-9 clip.
» Green Bay went 6-for-19 (.316) with runners in scoring position.
» Green Bay pitchers limited Oakland to just 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
» The Phoenix drew five walks from Oakland pitching.
» Oakland was led offensively by Kam Troyer, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
UP NEXT
Green Bay's win sets the team up for a showdown with the No. 1-seeded Youngstown State Penguins tomorrow at 11 a.m. CST. To view the #HLSB Championships bracket, click HERE.
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