LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University softball team captured its first win over No. 23 Corban since 2013, as the Mountaineers rebounded from a 10-7 defeat in game one with a 6-4 triumph to earn the Saturday split at Peggy Anderson Field.

EOU (18-14) moved to 7-3 in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play – its best start in league action in over a decade.

GAME ONE
No. 23 CRB 10, EOU 7
Corban racked up eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings to build a seven-run advantage late, and EOU nearly forged a comeback until suffering a 10-7 defeat to open the afternoon.

Senior center fielder Shelby Baertsch and senior first baseman Marisa Gonzalez posted two RBI apiece, while Baertsch, junior left fielder Taylor Turner, and senior shortstop Haley Hess tallied two hits apiece.

In the circle, junior hurler Haylie Van Laethem (6-8) collected a strikeout and forced 12 groundouts in the losing effort.  

Iris Rodriguez paced Corban (21-12, 7-5 CCC) with two doubles, four hits, and five RBI. Meanwhile, Jessica Holsinger threw eight strikeouts in five innings.

EOU got to work early, as Hess and Turner led off with singles, and then Gonzalez followed with a two-run double down the left-field line.

However, Corban muscled some of its own firepower, belting seven hits and eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings combined to take a commanding 9-2 lead.

Following a lengthy discussion between the umpires on a call at first base, EOU swung back with five runs in the bottom of the sixth, including RBI doubles by both Baertsch and junior catcher Haylee Hathorn.

Trailing 10-7 in the seventh, the Mountaineers put a runner in scoring position before the Warriors halted the rally and took game one.

GAME TWO
EOU 6, NO. 23 CRB 4
Game two saw EOU snag a 6-0 lead through four innings, and sophomore pitcher Hailey Kline confined Corban to just two hits in the final two frames to seal the upset.

Barker recorded three RBI, including a two-run shot in the third inning to put EOU on the board.

Both Hess and Baertsch went 3-for-4 at the dish, while Gonzalez added two hits and two runs.

Kline (8-4) racked up seven strikeouts en route to collecting her eighth victory in the circle, while Allie Mendez tossed seven strikeouts in the losing effort for Corban.  

After Hess opened the third stanza with a single, Turner's sacrifice bunt placed one runner in scoring position for the Mountaineers. Barker followed with her two-run homer to give EOU the early edge, and then sophomore second baseman Maryssa Santi tacked on another run with an RBI single to right field.

EOU forced a critical double play in the top of the fourth, and the Mountaineers capitalized in the bottom half of the frame with three runs on five hits. Barker plated Hess with a single to right field, and after EOU juiced the bases, Baertsch smacked a two-run double to extend the advantage to six (6-0).

The Warriors managed to chip away, as Raina Reece's solo shot in the top of the seventh made it a two-run (6-4) game, but Kline forced a fly out and an infield pop out to halt the comeback.

GAME BALL GOES TO…
Baertsch – The senior leader hit 5-for-8 on the day with four RBI, including a pair of doubles in the split. 

UP NEXT
EOU hits the road for a quartet of CCC doubleheaders, beginning with a matchup on April 1 against No. 16 Southern Oregon. First pitch in Ashland, Ore., is slated for 2 p.m.