LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University softball team forced an extra inning before falling in Game 2 against Oregon Tech, 4-3. OIT also won the first game 5-2.

The Mountaineers (9-15) (1-9) fell for the 11th consecutive game, while the Hustlin' Owls collected their second and third straight wins. Tech won its 20th game of the season with the opening win in the doubleheader.

Mikey Eustance recorded a pair of wins on the mound for OIT (21-17) (8-4). The junior struck out 12 batters on the day, 11 coming in the first game. She gave up five hits and one earned run in Game 1. Eustance also walked three batters.

Andria Wheatley got the scoring started in the top of the third inning. The junior crossed home plate after a wild pitch. Oregon Tech added three runs in the following inning to take a 4-0 lead. Iris Woodhead scored Eastern's first run in the bottom half of the inning on a passed ball.

OIT added another run in the top of the fifth inning when Bree Larson drove in Kayde Schaefer with a RBI single to right field. An Ashleigh Byrne single to center field brought in Jennifer McDonnell for the Mountaineers in the bottom of the seventh inning. However, EOU would leave two runners on base and not score again.

A pitching duel between McDonnell and Tech's Becca Anderson would highlight the second game. Both pitchers would allow no runs through the first three innings. Anderson allowed a pair of hits during that stretch, but McDonnell allowed no hits.

That is until Wheatley and Larson each singled to open the top of the fourth inning. Wheatley scored on a sacrifice bunt from Taylor Schmidt later in the inning to open Game 2's scoring. EOU tied the score in the bottom of the fifth inning when Shelby Spencer singled to left field, scoring Nyssa Salazar. But, the Mountaineers left the bases loaded and scored only one run on four hits in the inning.

Eastern Oregon scored one run off of nine hits through the first seven innings of the second game, and left seven runners on base.

With the score tied at one, OIT threatened in the top of the seventh loading the bases, but failed to score the go-ahead run. Spencer singled up the middle in the bottom half of the inning, but that was Eastern's lone hit in the seventh.

Tech broke the tie open with three runs off of two hits in the top of the eighth. Jess Plummer scored off of a wild pitch and a Larson single to right field brought in Schaefer and Schmidt. The Owls would leave two runners on base.

EOU rallied with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth. Krista Kountz doubled down the left field line scoring Ashli Hughes. Kountz would later score after Megan Hardman grounded out to second base. Hardman's grounder not only scored Kountz, but advanced two Mountaineers into scoring position. But, Eastern would not score again.

McDonnell was credited with two losses and pitched all 15 innings. The freshman threw a total of 237 pitches, and threw 68 strikes in each game.

Eastern Oregon hosts Southern Oregon (9-17) (5-7) Saturday at 11 a.m. It will be Senior Day in La Grande and the Mountaineers will honor Byrne, Hardman, Kountz, and Woodhead. The Raiders come on a three-game losing streak after being swept at The College of Idaho Friday. Oregon Tech travels to C of I Saturday for a 11 a.m. MT first pitch.