REDDING, Calif. – The No. 2 Eastern Oregon softball team picked up a pair of wins over Simpson University on Friday, defeating the Red Hawks 9–1 in a six-inning run-rule victory before securing a 7–5 comeback win in game two.
Game 1
Simpson threatened early in the first inning, loading the bases with a series of walks. Eastern Oregon escaped the jam, however, recording a strikeout and two groundouts to end the inning without allowing a run.
The Mountaineers broke the game open in the top of the second with a six-run inning. With a runner aboard, a dropped foul ball gave
Kelly Monaghan another opportunity at the plate, and she made the most of it with an RBI double to put EOU on the board.
Elizabeth Heinz followed with a single before
Alexis Blankenship executed a suicide squeeze bunt to bring home Monaghan while reaching safely at first.
A second Simpson error extended the lead to 3–0. Later in the inning, Grumbois singled to right field to score Blankenship and Klippert. Baumgart capped the scoring with an RBI single as the Mountaineers built a 6–0 advantage.
Simpson cut into the deficit in the bottom half of the inning. Ariel Schulzkump drew a leadoff walk and eventually came around to score on a passed ball.
Eastern Oregon added to its lead in the fifth when a throwing error on a pickoff attempt allowed Klippert to score. The Mountaineers sealed the run-rule victory in the sixth inning when
Hope Burke launched a two-run home run to extend the lead to 9–1.
Maliyah Mann closed the game with a flyout and back-to-back strikeouts.
Mann (9–1) earned the win, tossing six innings while allowing just two hits and one run with six strikeouts. Simpson's Jacquelyn Lujan took the loss after four innings of work, allowing no earned runs while striking out five.
Game 2
Game two remained scoreless through the first four innings before the Mountaineers finally broke through in the fifth. Klippert doubled down the right-field line to score Monaghan and put Eastern Oregon on the board. A Simpson error later in the inning allowed Klippert to score, giving the Mountaineers a 2–0 lead.
The Red Hawks responded in the bottom half of the inning. Nayzeth Gonzalez opened the frame with a double, and Brianne Lopez-Cortez followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 2–1.
Eastern Oregon answered in the sixth as
Hope Burke delivered an RBI single to extend the lead to 3–1.
Simpson then surged ahead after a defensive struggle from the Mountaineers. Three consecutive errors loaded the bases before Lopez-Cortez delivered a grand slam to give the Red Hawks a 5–3 lead.
The Mountaineers responded in the seventh inning. With the bases loaded, Grumbois lined a single down the left-field line to bring home two runs and tie the game at 5–5. Baumgart followed with an RBI single to give EOU the lead, and Monaghan added an insurance run later in the inning.
Camille Schmitz shut the door in the bottom of the seventh, retiring the side with a groundout, strikeout, and flyout to secure the 7–5 victory and the day-one sweep.
Schmitz (5–0) earned the win with 2.2 innings of relief, allowing just one hit while striking out three.
Up Next
Eastern Oregon will continue the series against Simpson on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.
