LA GRANDE, Ore. – After suffering a 10-inning heartbreaker to College of Idaho (COI) in game one, the Eastern Oregon University softball team responded with authority, as the Mountaineers shutout (10-0) the Yotes in five innings in game two to earn the split on Saturday afternoon at Peggy Anderson Field.
EOU won its third affair over COI in the last four tries, and the Mountaineers shutout the Yotes for the first time since 2012.
GAME TWO
EOU 10, COI 0 (5 INNINGS)
In game two, the Mountaineers saw sophomore pitcher Hailey Kline (4-3) notch her second three-hitter shutout of the 2016 campaign, and junior designated player Lauren Burchak blasted a fourth-inning grand slam to highlight EOU's 10-0 victory over COI.
With six RBI on the day, Burchak tied an EOU single-game record. Senior shortstop Haley Hess and junior third baseman Jorden Gerlach mustered two hits apiece, while senior center fielder Shelby Baertsch, junior right fielder Cheyenne Barker, and senior first baseman Marisa Gonzalez tallied one RBI.
In addition to holding the Yotes to only three hits, Kline posted two strikeouts and forced seven groundouts.
COI's Cortni Pena suffered her fourth loss of the season and gave up seven earned runs.
Right off the bat, EOU tallied two runs thanks to an RBI double by Burchak and an error by the Yotes in the bottom of the first stanza.
The Mountaineers tacked on two more runs in the third via another RBI by Burchak and a sacrifice fly from Baertsch.
Things got out of hand in the bottom of the sixth, as EOU swelled its advantage to 10-0 via six hits, including a grand slam by Burchak over the center field fence. Gerlach and Hess opened the frame with singles, and then junior left fielder Taylor Turner batted the perfect bunt to juice the bases.
Barker launched an RBI single, and then Gonzalez drew a hit-by-pitch to make it a six-run (6-0) game. Moments later, Burchak delivered the icing on the cake with a monstrous grand slam to cap EOU's scoring on the day.
In the top of the fifth, Kline remained poised in the circle, as she posted a three-up, three-down inning to seal the victory.
GAME ONE
COI 7, EOU 6 (10 INNINGS)
Despite forging a seventh-inning rally to tie the game, EOU suffered a 7-6 heartbreaker in 10 innings to open the windy day in La Grande.
COI outhit EOU, 17-6, and the Mountaineers left 14 runners stranded in the defeat.
Turner registered two hits and two RBI to pace the Navy and Gold, while junior righty Haylie Van Laethem (4-8) tossed six strikeouts in the losing effort.
With the contest knotted at two apiece in the fourth inning, Turner slapped a single to right center to plate both Gerlach and sophomore second baseman Maryssa Santi, placing EOU on top, 4-2.
However, COI responded two innings later, as Ashley Pesek smashed a three-run shot to right field to put the advantage (5-4) back in the hands of the Yotes.
Junior catcher Alex Shuster came in clutch with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at five apiece, and the back-and-fourth affair proceeded in extra innings.
The Yotes (6-7-1, 3-3 CCC) looked poised to regain its lead in the ninth with two runners in scoring position, but EOU kept COI at bay after Gerlach scooped up an infield hit and fired it over to Shuster at the plate to notch the out and keep the game tied.
EOU went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the ninth, and COI mustered two runs on three hits in the 10th frame to take a two-run (7-5) lead.
Three-straight walks loaded the bases for the Mountaineers with only one out in the bottom of the 10th, but the Yotes forced a double play to escape game one with a victory.
GAME BALL GOES TO…
Burchak – A native of Woodinville, Wash., Burchak tied a school record with six RBI in game two and hit a grand slam to cap the Mountaineers' 10-0 victory. She totaled four hits on the afternoon.
UP NEXT
EOU (9-13, 4-2 CCC) returns to Peggy Anderson Field on Monday against Lewis and Clark College. First pitch in game one is scheduled for noon.
