ASHLAND, Ore. – The 16-year drought is over. With a 3-0 victory over Great Falls on Saturday afternoon, the Eastern Oregon University softball team reserved a spot not only in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Championship, but also its first trip to the NAIA National Tournament since 2000. 

Behind a three-hitter shutout by sophomore pitcher Hailey Kline, EOU mustered the timely hits it needed, plating runs in the later innings to advance. 

KEY PERFORMANCES
Kline's shutout included five strikeouts and 12 flyouts, as the sophomore righty improved to 16-6 on the campaign. Senior first baseman Marisa Gonzalez led EOU at the dish with a 2-for-3, one RBI effort, while junior third baseman Jorden Gerlach added an insurance run via an RBI triple in the sixth inning.

Great Falls (24-17) saw Chole Cross, Alex Lowry, and Jackie Thomas muster the only three hits of the game. In the circle, Keely Van Blaricom suffered her sixth loss of the season in four innings of action.

THE STORYLINE
EOU broke the scoreless standstill in the fourth inning after junior catcher Alex Shuster notched the RBI on the fielder's choice to plate junior pinch runner Taylor Gerlach.

After Kline carded a hitless fifth inning, the Mountaineers tacked on another run thanks to an RBI single to center field by Gonzalez.

Leading 2-0 in the sixth, Kline forced another three-up, three-down inning, and then Gerlach capped the bottom half of the frame with an RBI triple to right center to put the Mountaineers on top, 3-0.

Kline kept the Argos hopeless in the seventh, recording two groundouts and a pop out to seal the victory and send EOU to the title game.

GAME BALL GOES TO…
Kline – A native of Pendleton, Ore., Kline collected her fifth shutout of the season and improved to 16-6 on the year. 

UP NEXT
EOU will square off against either Great Falls or No. 20 Southern Oregon tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. To follow live stats, click here.