CHICAGO, ILL. (5/9/19) – The University of Detroit Mercy softball team knocked off #MetroSeries rival Oakland University with a 6-3 victory in the quarter-finals of the Horizon League Tournament.
The 2-seed Titans will face the 1-seed UIC Flames in the semi-finals tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
The red, white and blue had 11 hits on the day, including three home runs.
Courtney Gilbert,
Leena Mortensen and
Jordan Manno were the three long ball hitters, producing four RBI in the process.
Ashley Mauser tossed 5.1 innings scattering four hits and one earned run.
DETROIT MERCY 6 - OAKLAND 3
Mauser started well in the top of the first, retiring the Oakland batters she faced 1-2-3.
In the bottom of the second,
Kori Keyes led off the action with a single into left center field.
She advanced to second base on a walk from
Alyssa Lang, and both runners advanced on a passed ball.
Keyes was able to advance home on a wild throw from the Golden Grizzlies third baseman, courtesy of a hard hit ground ball from
Liz Paver, giving the Titans a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third, Manno reached on a fielding error by Oakland and Gilbert punished them, driving a two run shot over the left center field fence, extending the lead to 3-0.
Later in the inning, Mortensen took a 2-2 pitch and tattooed it over the fence in right center, bringing the lead up to 4-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Manno jumped in on the long ball fun, striping a ball over the fence in center field, making the score 5-0.
The Golden Grizzlies put a run on the board in the top of the sixth, making the score 5-1.
Liz Murphy worked magic in the circle, getting out of a bases loaded jam with one out.
She came in throwing heat, and got two swinging strikeouts to preserve the 5-1 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth,
McKenna Tanguay singled up the middle and advanced to second base on a passed ball.
Manno hit a ground ball to second base which allowed Tanguay to advance to third, and Gilbert drove her home with a single through the left side.
In the top of the seventh, the Golden Grizzlies had the tying run at the plate after cutting the Titans lead to 6-3, but Murphy got a pop fly to Keyes at third base and the Titans clinched a 6-3 victory.
UP NEXT
The Titans will face UIC at 3:30 p.m. with a trip to the Horizon League Championship at stake. If they lose, they will head to the losers bracket and need one win to clinch a finals berth the hard way.
