PENDLETON, Ore. – Mountaineers Softball brought out the brooms for the second consecutive weekend of Cascade Collegiate Conference play as the team not only swept the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds for the weekend, 4-0, but also went 3-0 in league play. With the 2-0 sweep on day two, Eastern Oregon is off to one of its best starts in recent history at 16-5 overall and remains undefeated in CCC play at 6-0.
Game 1 – Eastern Oregon 6, British Columbia 3
How it Happened
• Eastern edged UBC (5-9, 4-5 CCC) by three runs in the day two opener thanks to a 9-4 advantage in hits. EOU did have more errors at three, while UBC committed two.
• The Mountaineers led all seven innings and held the T-Birds scoreless in five frames. Offensively, EOU scored all six runs in the first four innings.
• Eastern scored two runs in the first to go ahead and never looked back. A wild pitch scored the first run in
Madison Stateler, while a
Kayla Berg RBI groundout scored
Hannah Tyree.
• Following a scoreless second inning, the Mounties tacked on three runs in the third to grab a 5-0 edge. Tyree scored the fourth run of the day thanks to a UBC error to make it 4-0.
• The next two EOU runs came on the swing of
Karsyn Zaragoza. She knocked a two RBI single to score both Berg and
Taylor Dow, putting EOU up 5-1.
• The T-Birds ended the Mounties' chance at a scoreless bout in the fourth. A two-run homer to center made it a 5-2 game, but they managed just one more run the rest of the way.
• EOU matched UBC in home runs as Tyree smacked a solo shot over the left field fence to make it a 6-2 score. UBC's final run came in the sixth on an EOU error before EOU secured the win.
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
•
Hannah Tyree hit 2-3 with an RBI and scored three runs to go along with a home run.
•
Taylor Dow also batted 2-3 and scored one run.
•
Kayla Berg was 1-3 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI
•
Karsyn Zaragoza went 1-3 with two RBI.
•
Shelby Starr tallied two hits in three at bats.
• Starter
Amanda Smith (7-1) pitched 5.1 innings and had a game-high eight strikeouts.
•
Abby Giles earned the save in 1.1 innings of relief, which is her first of the year.
For the Thunderbirds
• Nicole Salas was 1-3 with a homer. She tallied two RBI and scored a run.
• Gabrielle Dorval batted 1-4 and scored a run.
• Mia Valcke was 1-3 and also scored a run.
• Shelby Kempel (2-4) suffered the loss in two innings pitched.
• Shae Sever pitched the final four frames and had four strikeouts.
Game 2 – Eastern Oregon 11, British Columbia 4
How it Happened
• Game two was a close battle through the first five innings. Then EOU exploded for six runs in the sixth to coast to a seven-run win.
• Eastern tailed over a baker's dozen hits in the finale with 13, while the 'Birds put seven hits. UBC had just one error in the loss, while EOU committed a pair.
• UBC grabbed its first lead of the day in the opening frame. They knocked a pair of hits, including a RBI single to go ahead 1-0 early.
• Eastern tied the game immediately in the bottom half on the swing of
Caitlin Crist. She hit a leadoff home run to left field to bring the score to 1-1.
• Keeping momentum going from game one,
Hannah Tyree gave EOU the lead, 3-1, in the second with a two RBI double scoring
Rhyanne Oates and
Allyson Bates.
• The Mountaineers racked up two more runs in the second to finish with four and led by four, 5-1.
Taylor Dow knocked a two RBI single to bring home Tyree and
Karsyn Zaragoza.
• UBC kept the game in reach, scoring two runs in the third. An RBI fielder's choice followed by an RBI base hit scored the runs as the 'Birds trail by just two, 5-3.
• Following a scoreless fourth inning, UBC scored a run in the fifth to get within one, 5-4, and held EOU scoreless.
• A throwing error by EOU allowed for the 'Birds to score a run. They threatened to tie with two runners on but both were left stranded.
• Following a 1-2-3 start to the sixth, the Mountie bats came alive as they knocked six hits, including two homers, to score two runs.
• Crist hit her second homer of the game with a line drive to center field. Three batters later Dow hit an RBI single to score Zaragoza and put EOU up 7-4.
• EOU loaded the bases before UBC got a second out, hoping to escape the jam. Enter
Abby Giles. She came in as a pinch hitter and delivered a grand slam to left center to bring the score to its final of 11-4.
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
•
Caitlin Crist hit 2-4, both homers, had two RBI and scored two runs.
•
Hannah Tyree also hit 2-4 with two RBI and scored two runs.
•
Taylor Dow went 2-3 with three RBI and scored one run.
•
Abby Giles had just one hit, a grand slam home run, and tallied four RBI.
•
Kayla Berg (1-1) picked up the win in relief, pitching 2.1 innings and fanned one batter.
•
Kaylin Winans earned the save, closing out the final two frames and had two strikeouts.
For the Thunderbirds
• Emma Dorval hit a perfect 2-2 with a run scored.
• Emilie Sherritt hit 2-4 with an RBI.
• Kaitlyn Eng also batted 2-4 and scored two runs.
• Lindsay Bell (2-4) suffered the loss in 1.2 innings pitched and struck out three batters.
• Shelby Kempel fanned four batters in 4.1 innings pitched.
By the Numbers
10 - The Mountaineers are now on a 10-game winning streak.
6 - Eastern is now 6-0 to start CCC play.
4 - EOU hit four home runs in the day two sweep of UBC.
3 - The Mounties have now swept the series over their last three opponents.
8 - Dating back to 2019, Eastern has now won each of the last eight games over the 'Birds.
Up Next
• The Mountaineers are on the road next weekend, March 19-20, for their toughest challenge yet in 2022. Eastern will face in-state rival and sixth-ranked Southern Oregon University. Day one action begins at 12 p.m., with day two starting at 11 a.m.
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