LA GRANDE, Ore – In a battle of two Navy & Gold softball squads on Saturday, Eastern Oregon was the better as the Mountaineers secured a day two sweep over Corban University at Peggy Anderson Field. EOU took game one, 7-6, in 10 innings before posting a 3-0 shutout in game two.
With the two wins, the Mounties secured their fifth Cascade Collegiate Conference series win of the year. They improved to 30-11 overall and are now 16-5 in league play. Saturday's sweep also saw EOU tally 30 wins for the first time since 2005.
Game 1 - Eastern Oregon 7, Corban 6 (10 Innings)
How it Happened
• EOU earned the extra innings win thanks to a 12-8 edge in hits. They did have five errors to just two by Corban (16-26, 10-12 CCC).
• The Mounties got out to a fast start with four runs scored in the first inning.
Grace Gaither got EOU on the board with a two RBI double, scoring
Taylor Dow and
Madison Stateler.
• The two-run lead grew to three when
Karsyn Zaragoza hit a single to plate Gaither home.
Haley Ebner rewarded her with an RBI double to make it a 4-0 game.
• The first run for Corban came on an RBI base hit in the second. EOU got the run back in the bottom of the second on a Corban error.
• The score remained 5-1 until the fourth when the Warriors tacked on two runs to get within two, 5-3. An EOU error set up an RBI single to score the first run, while a wild pitch scored the second.
• The Warriors got within one, 5-4, in the fifth. A wild pitch allowed another run to come in for Corban to make things interesting.
• The score stayed at 5-4 until the seventh. Corban scored two runs on an EOU error to grab its first lead at 6-5.
•
Caitlin Crist led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and got to third on a sacrifice bunt by Stateler.
Olivia Zufelt then knocked a single to right to score Crist and tie the game, 6-6.
• Both squads battled over the next three frames and it was not until the bottom of the 10th, EOU secured the win. EOU got two runners on with a pair of singles and advanced both with a groundout.
• Delivering the gamewinning hit was Crist. She hit an RBI single down the right field line to score Ebner for the 7-6 victory and the CCC series win, 2-1.
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
•
Caitlin Crist hit 3-5 with one RBI, the gamewinner, and scored a run.
•
Haley Ebner batted 2-5 with one RBI and scored the gamewinning run.
•
Grace Gaither finished 1-4 with two RBI and scored one run.
•
Abby Giles (7-1) pitched five complete frames in relief and had four strikeouts in the win.
For the Warriors
• Kaycee Arase hit 3-4 and scored a game-high three runs.
• Anastasia Iosia was 2-5 with an RBI and scored two runs.
• Karla Calderon went 2-5 with an RBI.
• Holly Gonzales (7-9) pitched a complete game and had a game best eight strikeouts.
Game 2 – Eastern Oregon 3, Corban 0
How it Happened
• Game two was shutout in the Mounties' favor in the non-conference finale. All three runs for EOU came in the fourth, while Eastern had the edge in hits at 5-4.
• In the fourth, the Mounties knocked three of their five hits in that frame and had two hits go out of the park for home runs. Both shots were solo homers to left field.
• Hitting the first homer was
Olivia Zufelt who led off with a solo shot to end the scoreless bout. Following her home run,
Allyson Bates delivered a home run to give EOU a 2-0 edge.
• The final run of the fourth came on a double to right center.
Shelby Starr smacked the extra base hit, scoring
Haley Ebner to make it a 3-0 game.
• In the circle, Starter
Kayla Berg had her best game of the season. She pitched the complete game shutout and fanned nine batters in the win.
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
•
Olivia Zufelt batted 2-2, hit a homer with one RBI and a run scored.
•
Allyson Bates was 1-2 with a home run. She had an RBI and scored a run.
•
Shelby Starr was 1-3 at the plate with an RBI.
•
Kayla Berg (3-1) pitched the complete game in the win and struck out nine batters.
For the Warriors
• Karla Calderon, Sarah Parker and Kaycee Arase all hit 1-3.
• Sarah Bradshaw hit 1-2 in the loss.
• Alise Olson (5-9) pitched five frames in the loss and had two strikeouts.
By the Numbers
30 - Eastern has reached 30 wins in a season for the first time since the 2005 campaign.
7 - With the shutout in the finale, EOU has now shutout wins this season.
9 -
Kayla Berg tallied a career best nine strikeouts in her first career shutout.
52 - With the three wins this weekend, Head Coach
Nicole Christian is now at 52 for her career.
19 - With the two home runs in the finale, EOU has hit 19 for the season now.
Up Next
• EOU is on the road next weekend in Washington for a four-game series at Northwest University, April 15-16. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. both days.
FOLLOW EOU ATHLETICS