EUGENE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon Softball got league play started Friday afternoon with a 2-0 sweep on day one against Bushnell University. The Mountaineers won by scores of 9-4 and 12-6, allowing them to secure their first Cascade Collegiate Conference series win of 2022.

Game 1 – Eastern Oregon 9, Bushnell 4 
How it Happened
• The Mountaineers (10-5, 2-0 CCC) seized the series opening win behind the efforts of 11 hits and scored nine runs. They also played a clean defensive game with no errors.
• The Beacons (5-7, 3-2 CCC) tallied six hits and managed four runs, but struggled on defense, committing three errors. All three Bushnell errors came in the first frames of action.
• EOU grabbed the lead early with three runs scored in the first. Three hits by Eastern paired with two Bushnell errors gave them the 3-0 lead to start.
• A leadoff hit by Caitlin Crist got her on base and she immediately stole second. A sacrifice bunt by Madison Stateler got Crist to third and she then scored on a throwing error by second base.
• Hannah Tyree got on base with a double and two batters later Kayla Berg plated her home with an RBI double to make it 2-0. Berg ultimately advanced on an error and scored on a wild pitch.
• EOU's defense was stout as starter Amanda Smith and company held the Beacons hitless through the first three innings. EOU pushed it lead to 5-0 in the third after a scoreless second.
• Tyree drew a leadoff walk and got to second on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Dow. Berg scored her with another double for the RBI and a 4-0 lead.
• Grace Gaither made it a 5-0 game on the next at bat with an RBI double to right center, scoring Berg. EOU then forced three groundouts in four at bats to close the third with the five-run edge.
• In the top of the fourth, the Mounties tacked on three more runs to open up an 8-0 lead. A Tyree RBI double to right center again scored Stateler to make it a 6-0 game quickly.
• Following a pitching change by Bushnell, EOU made it a 7-0 game on a Gaither RBI single, scoring Tyree. EOU added one more run on a Haley Ebner RBI sacrifice fly to score Berg.
• The Beacons ended their drought in the bottom of the fourth scoring one run. EOU allowed one-out walk, and Bushnell scored the runner with an RBI triple to right field.
• Eastern allowed just one run in the fourth to stay ahead 8-1. Both squads got through the fifth quickly as each team went down in order. Bushnell scored again in the sixth, adding a run.
• The Beacons worked another 1-2-3 frame to get back on offense quickly. A leadoff double got a runner one and two batters later she scored on an RBI single.
• The final run for EOU came in the top of the seventh on a RBI sacrifice fly. Karsyn Zaragoza drew a leadoff walk. She advanced on a single and a wild pitch before Stateler scored her.
• Leading 9-2, EOU allowed its final two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Three hits in the first four at bats ultimately scored the two runs before EOU closed out the contest to win by five.

Mountaineers Stat Leaders
• Kayla Berg went 2-3 in the opener with two RBI and scored three runs.
• Grace Gaither also had two hits, going 2-4 and racked up two RBI.
• Hannah Tyree batted 2-3 and scored three runs to go along with an RBI.
• Amanda Smith pitched a complete game to improve to 4-1. She had six strikeouts in the win.

For the Beacons
• Anabel Mendez went 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored,
• Madison Steelman batted 1-4, scored one run, and tallied an RBI.
• Braydi Johnson was 1-1, drew two talks, and had an RBI.
• Aliyah Kelly (2-4) suffered the loss in the circle. Neither her or Breanna Jilton recorded a strikeout.

Game 2 – Eastern Oregon 12, Bushnell 6
How it Happened
• Game two saw the Beacons get out to a furious start, scoring six runs in the first inning. However, they never scored again the rest of the game, falling by six.
• The Mounties secured the win with four runs in the second and had five in the fourth to earn the comeback. They had 11 hits in the win, while Bushnell racked up nine.
• Eastern actually grabbed the game's first lead, scoring a run in the first. Caitlin Crist drew a leadoff walk and ultimately scored on a Hannah Tyree sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
• Helping the Beacons race out to 6-1 lead in the opening frame was four hits. They had help on two EOU errors as well. An RBI single to left with no outs tied the game at 1-all.
• The next at bat for Bushnell brought in two more runs on a two RBI single to deep center field to make it 3-1. Another RBI single immediately pushed the Beacons lead to 4-1.
• A two-out RBI single scored the final two runs of the game for Bushnell. The Mounties then limited the Beacons to just five hits over the next six innings.
• Eastern cut the Bushnell lead to one with four runs scored in the second. The lone error for the Beacons came in the second, leading to four unearned runs by EOU.
• Grace Gaither got on with a one-out double and on the next at bat she scored on a fielding error, while Karsyn Zaragoza got on base. She then scored on a Shelby Starr RBI single.
• The two runs made it 6-3 and Crist quickly cut the EOU deficit to two runs with an RBI double, scoring Starr. Madison State made it a 6-5 game on the next at bat with a single to score Crist.
• The Beacons managed to get a hit in the second and third, but made nothing of it, EOU was held scoreless in the third before racking up five runs in the fourth to go back in front.
• EOU loaded the bases with one out to start the fourth. Tyree delivered with a bases clearing three RBI double to left center. Her hit gave the Mounties an 8-6 edge.
• Two batters later, Kayla Berg rewarded Tyree with a double to score her and gave EOU the 9-6 lead. Gaither followed Berg up with a double as well to plate her home and made it a 10-6 score.
• The score remained 10-6 until the top of the seventh when EOU tacked on its final two runs. Bushnell forced a double play to get two outs but then loaded the bases for EOU.
• The bases loaded jam led to the rally to allow the Mounties to score. Berg hit an RBI single to center, allowing pinch runner Allyson Bates to score. Her base hit made it 11-6.
• Following Berg's single, the Beacons gave up back-to-back walks to score the 12th run for EOU. Abby Giles then closed out the game forcing three straight groundouts to secure the win.

Mountaineers Stat Leaders
• Hannah Tyree batted 1-3, had a game-high four RBI, and scored a run.
• Shelby Starr had a game best three hits in four at bats to go along with two runs scored and an RBI.
• Kayla Berg tallied two hits, going 2-5 and had two RBI along with a run scored.
• Karsyn Zaragoza drew three walks in the win and had two RBI. She scored one run as well.
• Caitlin Crist scored a game-high three runs and drew four walks. She batted 1-1 on the win and had an RBI.
• Reliever Abby Giles secured the win (4-1). She had one strikeout to go along with 10 force outs and groundouts, respectively.

For the Beacons
• Faith Wayman batted 2-4, tallying two RBI and scored a run.
• Suzi Krstic went 1-2 at the plate and had two RBI.
• Anabel Mendez was 2-4 as well, scoring one run and had an RBI.
• Sam Silver (2-3) suffered the loss. She had one strikeout in 3.2 innings pitched.

By the Numbers
1 - The Mountaineers CCC series win on Friday is their first of the season.
0 - EOU did not have one batter strikeout in the series opening win.
11 - Eastern racked up 11 hits in both games.
12 - The Mounties had a season-high 12 RBI in the game two win.
3 - EOU stole a season best three bases in game one.
4 - Amanda Smith pitched her fourth complete game in the series opening win.
4 - Both Abby Giles and Amanda Smith picked up their fourth wins in the circle on Friday.

Up Next
• EOU and Bushnell wrap up the series tomorrow, March 5, with another doubleheader. Game one will begin at 11 a.m., with game two starting at 1 p.m.

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