KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — 15th-ranked Mountaineers Softball suffered their first setback of the postseason as they fell 6-5 in the semifinals to No. 4 and top-seeded Oregon Tech in eight frames.
With the loss, EOU will head to the elimination side of the bracket at the 2022 Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank. The Mounties can still make the Championship game but will need to win an elimination game after falling to OIT in extra frames on Saturday afternoon.
No. 4 Oregon Tech 6, No. 15 Eastern Oregon 5 (8 Innings)
How it Happened
• Giving the Owls (45-10) the win was a walkoff home run in the extra frame. The Mounties (41-14) trailed 3-0 entering the sixth, but ultimately batted back to force the extra inning fight.
• OIT edged EOU in the hit battle, 11-8, but Eastern had the advantage in the defensive battle. EOU did not commit one error while OIT had one in the slim victory.
• The game was a scoreless bout through the first three innings before OIT got on the board. An RBI double scored the lone run for the Owls to make it a 1-0 game.
• In the fifth, OIT extended the lead to 3-0 thanks to a two-run homer. A leadoff hit got a runner on before the home run to center field made it a three run edge for Tech.
• In the top of the sixth, the Mounties scored five unanswered runs thanks to four hits and with the help of OIT's lone error.
• A
Grace Gaither RBI double to left center got EOU within one, 3-2, as she scored
Taylor Dow and
Hannah Tyree. Giving EOU the lead was
Kayla Berg.
• Berg smacked a two RBI double to right center that brought in
Karsyn Zaragoza and Gaither. The two-run hit gave the Mounties a 4-3 edge.
• In the
Madison Stateler at bat, she got on with a fielder's choice. The loner error of the day by OIT allowed Berg to score and gave the Mounties a 5-3 lead.
• The Owls tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs. A two-out double and a hit by pitch got two runners on before a deep two RBI single tied the game at 5-all.
• Both squads battled in the seventh, but an extra frame was needed to determine a winner. A walkoff home run ultimately gave OIT a slim one-run win at 6-5.
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
•
Grace Gaither went 1-4 at the plate with two RBI and scored one run.
•
Kayla Berg also batted 1-4 with two RBI and scored a run.
• Both
Hannah Tyree and
Taylor Dow went 1-3 with a run scored.
For the Hustlin' Owls
• Kaila Mick batted 2-4 with two RBI and scored one run. She also hit a home run
• Lexi Klum was 2-4 with a home run. She scored two runs and had one RBI.
• Zoe Allen hit 1-2 with two RBI.
• Mckenzie Staub (17-4) earned the win in relief and had four strikeouts.
By the Numbers
2 - This is just the second win for OIT against EOU this season.
0 - The Mounties did not commit a single error in their fight with the Owls.
1 - Eastern gave up its first home run of the CCC Tournament in Saturday's loss.
1 - Saturday's loss is the first of the CCC Tournament for the Mounties.
4 - EOU has recorded four-plus RBI in every game in the conference tournament.
Up Next
• An elimination semifinal game. The Mounties will face No. 20 and fourth-seeded College of Idaho tomorrow, May 8, at 11 a.m. Should the Mounties win, they will advance to the CCC Championship game.
• Things get a bit complicated entering the elimination game. If EOU loses, the team is eliminated from the CCC Tournament and will hope for an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament, which they will not know until when the NAIA Softball Selection Show airs on Tuesday, May 10 at 2 p.m. PT/4 p.m. CT.
• If EOU wins the elimination game over C of I, the team will advance to the CCC Championship Game. Eastern will automatically receive a bid to Nationals by virtue of OIT being in the finals as the regular season champion. To win the CCC Tournament Title, the Mounties will need to defeat the Owls twice.
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