LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University Softball team swept visiting Southern Oregon University, 1-0 and 3-2, on Friday afternoon at Peggy Anderson Field.
Game One (EOU 1 SOU 0)Eastern Oregon's pitcher,
Lindsey Walchli, kept Southern Oregon's bats quiet during game one. Walchli only allowed three hits in the game to the Raiders. Southern Oregon collected their first hit in the top of the third inning.
Southern Oregon threatened with two outs in the top of the fourth inning as Alexia Gonzalez tripled to right field with two outs. However, she was stranded on third base after Krystina Pardoski grounded out to first base to end the inning.
The Mountaineers broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Cassie Wendt led off the inning with a single to right field. She then stole second base with
Marisa Gonzalez at the plate. On a 2-2 pitch, Gonzalez drove a double off the right field fence, scoring Wendt, putting EOU ahead, 1-0.
Eastern Oregon continued to threaten in the bottom of the fourth inning. With Gonzalez on second,
Gracie Flyg reached on an error by the Raiders, putting two runners on. Both runners advanced a base after a ground out.
CeCe Pratt loaded the base, by drawing a walk, and with two outs, EOU had the bases loaded. Pinch-hitter
Taylor Smith came to the plate but grounded out to third base to end the inning.
Walchli continued to dominate the Raiders' offense as she sat them down in order in the fifth and sixth inning.
Eastern Oregon's offense went down in order and heading to the top of the seventh inning, EOU led 1-0.
In the top of the seventh inning, Walchli retired the first hitter of the frame. Pardoski followed with a single to center. Megan Winton reached on an EOU error putting two runners on base. Gina Ayala hit into a fielders' choice retiring the lead runner at third base. However, Winton advanced to third on a throwing error by EOU. With runners on the corners, Ayala stole second base. The Raiders runners were stranded on second and third as Walchli struck out Davalin Ontiveros, ending the game, giving EOU a 1-0 victory.
Game Two (EOU 3 SOU 2)Walchli continued to dominate the Raiders' hitters as she recorded a strike out and two ground outs to throw a 1-2-3 top of the first inning.
In the bottom of the first inning,
Haley Hess led off the game by reaching on a hit by pitch.
Shelby Baertsch followed with a double to left center, scoring Hess from first base, to put EOU ahead 1-0. After a fly out, Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, putting two runners on. Flyg followed with single up the middle, scoring Baertsch from second base and on the throw home, Gonzalez and Flyg each advanced a base. After the second out of the inning,
Kaitlyn Reynolds singled to left scoring, Gonzalez making it 3-0. On the play, however, Flyg was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
The Raiders scored their first run of the day in the top of the second inning. Winton singled to shortstop putting one runner on. Ayala followed with a single to left field, advancing Winton to second. Megan Scherer followed with a single, loading the bases. Kayla Douglans grounded into a fielders' choice with the bases loaded but the Raiders scored as EOU recorded on error on the play. Walchli was able to settle the defense and retired the next two hitters.
Southern Oregon looked as though they were going to cut into the Mountaineers lead in the top of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Walchli induced two straight ground balls to get out of the inning.
After the Mountaineers went down quietly in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Raiders added their second run of the game in the top of the sixth inning. With a runner on second base and two outs, Jazmin Ruvalcaba singled up the middle scoring the runner, putting the Raiders down, 3-2. That was all they would get in the inning.
Southern Oregon sat EOU down in order in the bottom of the sixth inning and came back up in the top of the seventh. Walchli recorded a fly out and a strike out to start the inning off. With two outs, Pardoski walked and Winton singled up the middle to put two runners on but they did not get any closer as Ayala flied out to left, ending the game and giving EOU a 3-2 victory.
Walchli picked up her second win of the day by tossing seven innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on eight hits.
EOU returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, April 18, when they host Oregon Tech on Senior Day at 11 a.m. PT. Southern Oregon heads to Caldwell, Idaho to face College of Idaho at 11 a.m. MT.
