Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
MACOMB, Ill. - Shortstop Lauren Furgala went 4-for-5 at the plate and scored three runs as Western Illinois split a Mid-Continent Conference double header with Oakland, winning the opener 3-1 before falling 7-6 late in the nightcap.
The Westerwinds (13-18, 5-1 Mid-Con) were down early in both games, falling behind 1-0 after the first inning in game one. Starting pitcher Kamren Ferguson held the Golden Grizzlies (9-18, 3-2 Mid-Con) scoreless after the first inning, allowing the Westerwinds to come from behind with a run in the third and two more in the fifth. Furgala hit a one-out single to left field in the third, then stole second and scored one play later on an Oakland error, tying the game at 1-1. Two innings later, the first three batters for Western reached safely as Britt Mason and Furgala crossed the plate for the go-ahead runs. Ferguson allowed just three hits in the final six innings, and collected eight strikeouts in her 10th complete game of the season.
“We didn't look like our team in the first inning,” said Western Illinois head coach Holly Van Vlymen, “but we were able to settle down. Things could have been a lot worse.”
In game two the Golden Grizzlies' Julie Owen hit a three-run game-winning home run in the top of the seventh to hand the Westerwinds their first league loss of the season. Western threatened in its final at bat, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. Nicole Green nearly drove in the game-tying run with a line drive up the middle, but it was snagged by Oakland pitcher Jessica Granger who doubled-up Jen Garcia on second base.
After Oakland jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings and knocked starter Kim King out of the game after 1.2 innings, the Westerwinds rallied for six unanswered runs - three on a two-out rally sparked by Amy Douglas in the second and three more in the fifth, to take a 6-4 lead.
“Amy is definitely the catalyst of our team,” said Western Illinois head coach Holly Van Vlymen. “She's an all-around catalyst and a spark.”
“Courtney (Jacobson) did well in relief,” said Van Vlymen. “She allowed the hit right when she came in, and then there was the seventh inning, of course, but the five innings in between she allowed us to get back in the game.”
The Westerwinds outhit the Golden Grizzlies 11-9 in the second game and 21-14 in the double header. They had just one error on the day while Oakland committed seven.
“I'm very proud of our team offensively,” said Van Vlymen. “They did a great job attacking their pitches, making adjustments from the first at bat to the second, from the first game to the second game, and from pitcher to pitcher.”
“Our goal is to be conference champions, so the loss is a little upsetting, but we don't have anything to hang our heads at. We were down by four runs, we came back, and we were just a few pitches away from a win.”
Centenary, which had the only other undefeated record in the Mid-Con entering today's games, defeated Southern Utah, 4-3, and will play a double header Saturday.
