LA GRANDE, Ore. — The No. 11 ranked Eastern Oregon Mounties and Carroll Saints split a Cascade Collegiate Conference softball doubleheader Friday at Peggy Anderson Field. The Saints captured the opener 7–1, and the Mountaineers answered with a 6–5 win in Game 2.
Game One: Carroll 7, Eastern Oregon 1
Carroll erased an early deficit in the first game. Eastern Oregon (22‑5, 18‑2 CCC) struck in the bottom of the first when Madison Olson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing home Alexis Blankenship. Carroll (14‑16, 9‑9) tied it in the second: Kenna Thomas was hit by a pitch, advanced on a sacrifice and a passed ball, and scored on Carlee Smith's single through the left side.
The Saints seized control in the third when Sammie Labrum launched a two‑run homer to center, scoring Liz Ybarra for a 3–1 lead. They added three runs in the fourth. Taylor Sayers singled, Ellie Koerber laid down a bunt single, and Ybarra drove in Sayers with a single up the middle. Labrum followed with a two‑run single to center that plated Ybarra and Koerber. Smith's RBI single in the seventh scored Thomas for the final margin.
Kennedy Venner (9‑7) spun a three‑hit complete game with four strikeouts and no walks. Camille Schmitz (3‑2) took the loss after allowing five runs in relief. Labrum finished 3‑for‑4 with four RBIs.
Game One: Eastern Oregon 6, Carroll 5
Eastern Oregon jumped ahead 3–0 in the nightcap. Raygun Klippert singled, moved to third on an error and scored when Hannah Tyree singled to left; Durham, who had walked and stolen second, also scored on the play, and Tyree came home on Emily Barry's single to center.
Carroll answered with two in the second on Brynn Notbohm's two‑run single up the middle and tied the game in the third when Sayers' fielder's‑choice fly ball scored Labrum. Eastern Oregon reclaimed the lead in the bottom half: Barry doubled to left and scored on Olson's infield single, then Hope Burke doubled down the right‑field line to bring in Olson for a 5–3 advantage.
An error allowed Ybarra to score in the fourth, trimming the deficit to 5–4, but Klippert restored a two‑run cushion in the fifth with a two‑out single through the right side that scored Kelly Monaghan, who had reached on an error. Carroll loaded the bases in the sixth and drew within one when Ella Seaman walked to force in Morgan Sunchild, yet Isabella King induced a line‑out to third and retired six of the final seven hitters to preserve the 6–5 victory.
King (1‑1) worked four innings of three‑hit, one‑run relief after Hannah Ebner started. Abbie Amend (2‑8) surrendered 10 hits and five earned runs in six innings for the Saints. Klippert reached base three times and drove in what proved to be the winning run, while Hannah Tyree finished 2‑for‑4 with two RBIs. Labrum had two hits for Carroll and totaled four RBIs on the day.
The teams conclude their four‑game CCC series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. PT at Peggy Anderson Field.
