LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon Baseball showed resilience on day two of its weekend series with Oregon Tech, splitting Sunday's doubleheader but dropping the four-game set 3-1. After suffering a pair of losses Saturday, the Mountaineers bounced back with a dramatic extra-innings battle in Game 3 before erupting late for a Game 4 victory to close the series on a high note.
Game 3
Oregon Tech struck first, plating three runs in the opening inning behind two walks, two hits, and a balk. Despite the early damage, Eastern limited the threat and stranded two runners. The Mounties answered in the bottom half, loading the bases on a single by
Andrew Demianew, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. A fielder's choice off the bat of McDaniel allowed Demianew to score, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
Eastern evened the score in the second. With two outs and a runner at third,
Mario Landeros delivered a clutch RBI single to right-center. McDaniel followed with a single to right field, tying the game at 3-3.
After a quiet third inning, Oregon Tech regained control in the fourth. Three walks loaded the bases before Logan Pontecrov drove in two with a single to right.
Tyler Rebsom entered in relief and recorded the final two outs to keep the Mounties within striking distance.
Eastern responded in the seventh with a bases-loaded rally.
Alex Olague worked a walk to score
Jace Nagler, Daniel Soto followed with another walk to bring in McDaniel, and
Easton Espinoza's fielder's choice plated
Carson Gerding to give Eastern a 6-5 lead.
The Owls answered with a run in the eighth to tie the game at 6-6, and the back-and-forth continued in the ninth. Oregon Tech used a double, sacrifice bunt, and groundout to take a 7-6 lead, but Eastern answered once again in the bottom half to force extra innings.
In the 10th, Oregon Tech capitalized with a two-run frame highlighted by a Logan Macy RBI double. Eastern refused to go quietly, as
Jaxon Logsdon opened the bottom of the inning with a solo home run to pull within one. The Mounties threatened, but couldn't find the equalizer, falling 9-8 in a thriller.
Collin Hysell earned the win in relief for Oregon Tech, tossing 3.2 innings with five strikeouts.
Zakaia Michaels (0-1) took the loss for Eastern.
Game 4
Eastern salvaged the series finale with a 10-7 comeback victory, fueled by a six-run eighth inning.
After three scoreless innings, Oregon Tech broke through with a four-run fourth, highlighted by a leadoff home run from Andrew Sharp. A combination of timely hits and Mountie miscues extended the lead to 5-0 in the fifth.
Lucas Perez sparked Eastern in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer to left-center. The Mounties chipped away in the sixth with an RBI single from Olague and an RBI walk by Perez. Nagler later added a solo home run to pull Eastern within two.
Oregon Tech added an insurance run in the eighth, but Eastern delivered its biggest punch in the bottom half. Trailing by three, the Mounties capitalized on a pitching change, stringing together clutch at-bats. Perez started the rally with an RBI single, Landeros followed with a two-RBI double, and Nagler launched a two-run homer to give Eastern a 9-7 lead. Olague added an RBI single to cap the six-run outburst.
Joey Weissenfels (1-0) closed the door, allowing just one run over three innings to secure the 10-7 win. Enrique Perez (1-2) was tagged with the loss for Oregon Tech.
Up Next
Eastern Oregon returns to action on the road March 6, traveling to Salem to face Corban University. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
