LA GRANDE, Ore. – No. 13-ranked Eastern Oregon wrapped up its regular season on Senior Day with a hard-fought series split against No. 1 Southern Oregon, clinching the No. 3 seed for the upcoming Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships.
In between games three and four, Eastern Oregon honored Madelyn Durham, Haley Tyree, Hannah Tyree, Madison Olson, Grace Spencer, Olivia Brown, Macao Jackson, Kylie Parsons, and Katelynn Evans for their contributions to Mountaineer softball over the last several seasons.
Resuming Friday's suspended game with a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning, Eastern Oregon completed a 5-4 victory to open Saturday's action. After Southern Oregon pulled within one with a run in the seventh, the Mountaineers held firm to secure the win. Hope Burke's three-run home run in the fourth inning proved pivotal, while Raygun Klippert added an RBI single to cap a four-run frame. Macao Jackson earned the win in the circle, and Taylor Brewer closed the door with a save.
In Game 3, the two sides battled through a tense, back-and-forth contest that saw Southern Oregon edge Eastern Oregon, 6-5. Emily Barry tied the game with a solo home run in the fourth, and Hope Burke followed with a go-ahead blast to right center later in the inning. After Southern Oregon reclaimed the lead on a two-run homer by Sarah Kerling in the sixth, Eastern Oregon answered with an RBI double from Madelyn Durham to pull within one. The Mountaineers threatened again in the seventh, but Southern Oregon held on for the narrow win. Klippert went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Mountaineers' offense.
The series finale saw Southern Oregon use a pair of timely home runs to down Eastern Oregon, 7-5. The Mounties stormed out of the gates in the first inning, with Durham roping an RBI double and Barry smashing a three-run homer to build an early 4-0 advantage. After Southern Oregon rallied to tie the game with back-to-back home runs, Brown gave Eastern Oregon a 5-4 lead with a sacrifice fly in the third inning. However, Ari Williams' two-run home run in the fifth inning ultimately proved to be the difference, helping Southern Oregon complete the comeback.
While the teams split the four-game series, Eastern Oregon captured two of the three official conference contests against the nation's top-ranked Raiders. Eastern Oregon finishes the regular season at 28-9 overall and 22-6 in CCC play. The Mountaineers will enter next week's Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships, hosted by Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls from May 2-4, as the No. 3 seed.
