Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ASHLAND, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University softball team was swept in a Cascade Collegiate Conference double header by Southern Oregon on Friday afternoon. The Mountaineers dropped game one, 7-1, before falling in the night cap, 8-5.

Game One – Southern Oregon broke the onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning. Tayler Burke reached base on a bunt single. She then proceeded to steal second base. Alexa Gonzalez brought her in on a bunt single to put SOU on top, 1-0, after the first inning.

The Mountaineers wasted little time tying the game at 1-1. Cassie Wendt doubled to center field to put an EOU runner on second base with one out. She advanced to third base on a Lindsey Walchli ground out. Gracie Flyg drove in Wendt on a single to shortstop to tie the game at one. Eastern Oregon tried to keep the rally going as Andrea Roeder walked to put two runners on base but the inning came to an end on a Mariebeth Watanabe ground out.

After the Mountaineers tied the game at, 1-1, the pitchers, Walchli and Karlie Stephens took control of the game and only allowed two players to reach base, who reached on a fielding error and a walk. Neither teams' offenses put more than one runner on base or threaten to score until the bottom of the fifth inning.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Megan Scherer led off the inning with a double to right center. Kassie Smith followed with a single to left field to put runners on the corners. After Stephens popped out to give Southern Oregon its first out of the inning, Burke followed with walk. However, Scherer came to score and Smith and Burke advanced a base on an EOU passed ball.

The Raiders kept the offense clicking as Gonzalez drew a walk to load the bases. With the bases loaded Ashley Lowe followed with an RBI single to right field to put the Raiders on top, 3-1. After Walchli struck out Sulie Augustine, Julia Willison followed with a bases loaded walk to put the Raiders on top 4-1. Sierra Anderson cleared the bases when she drove in all three on a triple to right field, which put the Raiders on top by six, 7-1, going to the top of the sixth inning.
After the Raiders broke the tie game, Eastern Oregon put the leadoff runners on base in the top of the sixth and seventh inning but could not advance the runners. EOU dropped game one, 7-1.

The Mountaineers had five players each record a hit in game one.

Game Two – The Mountaineers looked to take the lead in the top of the first inning. JoElla Smith reached base on a fielding error by Southern Oregon's shortstop. Katie Martell followed with a single to put two runners on base for EOU. However, the next two batters for Eastern Oregon were retried and the Mountaineers threat was ended.

The Raiders broke the scoreless tie in bottom of the second inning. After an Augustine ground out, Willison doubled to left field to get Southern Oregon's offense started. Sierra Anderson followed with a double down the right field line, which scored Willison to put the Raiders on top, 1-0. The next Raider hitter, Scherer, singled up the middle to score Anderson to extend the Raiders lead to 2-0. Southern Oregon added to its lead as Scherer came in to score on a Gina Ayala single and after two innings Southern Oregon led, 3-0.

Eastern Oregon answered back in the top of the third inning. Watanabe singled to left to get EOU's offense clicking. With Smith up to bat, Watanabe stole second base. Smith followed with a single to right field to put runners on the corners for EOU. With one out, Stephanie Maestretti hit a sacrifice fly to right field which scored Watanabe to trim the Raiders lead to 3-1.

Southern Oregon answered right back in the bottom of the third inning. Gonzalez tripled to right center to put a Raider in scoring position. Lowe followed with a double down the left field line, which scored Gonzalez extending the Raiders lead back to three runs, 4-1. The Raiders loaded the bases with two outs but could not get another run on the board in the bottom of the third inning.

The Mountaineers cut the lead down to two runs, in the top of the fourth inning. With one out Flyg singled up the middle. Nicole Redd drove in Flyg with a RBI triple to right field, putting EOU down 4-2. With Redd on third base, Watanabe drew a walk to put two runners on base for EOU. JoElla Smith followed with double to right center, which drove in two runs tying the game at 4-4.

The game did not stay tied for long as Southern Oregon answered back in the bottom of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Anderson drew a bases loaded walk to put the Raiders back in the lead, 5-4. The Raiders were not as they added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and took an 8-4 lead into the top of the sixth inning.

Eastern Oregon looked to be mounting a comeback. With one out and Smith one first base, Martell singled up the middle to put two runners on base. Maestretti followed with a single up the middle to score one and put EOU down three, 8-5. However, that would be as close as the Mountaineers would get and dropped game two, 8-5.

Watanabe, Smith, Martell and Flyg led the Mountaineers with two hits apiece in game two. Smith and Maestretti led the team by driving in two runs apiece.

EOU returns to action tomorrow when they travel to Klamath Falls, Ore. to face Oregon Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.