MONMOUTH, Ore. – No. 1 Eastern Oregon softball capped off a perfect spring break Saturday afternoon, sweeping Western Oregon with a 5-1 victory in game one and a 3-2 win in game two. The Mountaineers finish the week a perfect 4-0 across a pair of non-conference doubleheaders.
Game 1
Eastern Oregon squared off against NCAA Division II Western Oregon, with both teams collecting two hits in the opening inning but failing to break through on the scoreboard.
The Mountaineers took control in the second inning, loading the bases with three walks before
Raygun Klippert delivered an RBI single to center field to put Eastern on the board.
Isabella Lauerman followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 2-0. Eastern threatened to add more, but a strikeout allowed the Wolves to limit the damage.
Western Oregon answered in the bottom half, cutting the deficit to 2-1. After two singles and two outs, the Wolves drew back-to-back walks, including an RBI walk to bring in a run.
Following a scoreless third inning, Eastern broke the game open in the fourth.
Elizabeth Heinz led off with a single, and a Western Oregon error put two runners on base. With two outs and a two-strike count,
Hope Burke launched a three-run home run to right-center field, giving the Mountaineers a 5-1 advantage.
The final four innings remained scoreless as
Camille Schmitz dominated in relief, backed by a strong defensive effort to secure the 5-1 win. Schmitz (9-0) earned the victory, tossing 4.0 innings and striking out seven. Kennedy Abbas (5-3) took the loss for Western Oregon.
Game 2
The second game was tightly contested throughout, with Eastern Oregon edging out a one-run victory to complete the sweep.
Western Oregon struck first in the opening inning, loading the bases on walks before an RBI groundout gave the Wolves a 1-0 lead. Despite the early pressure, Eastern limited the damage.
The Mountaineers responded in the third inning. Heinz reached base on a Western Oregon error and later scored on an RBI from
Allison Baumgart to tie the game at 1-1. Eastern took the lead in the fifth, capitalizing on another Wolves error to go ahead 3-1.
Western threatened in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out double and two walks, but a clutch strikeout after Schmitz entered in relief ended the inning and preserved the Mountaineers' lead.
The Wolves pulled within one in the sixth with a solo home run, but Eastern held firm. Both teams were scoreless in the final frame, sealing a 3-2 victory for the Mountaineers.
Maliyah Mann (12-1) earned the win after 5.0 innings, striking out three. Schmitz returned to the circle to record the final 1.1 innings and pick up her third save of the season. Penny Barnett (4-6) was charged with the loss.
With the win, head coach
Nicole Christian secured her 200th career collegiate victory, having led the program to multiple national tournament appearances and its current No. 1 NAIA ranking.
Up Next
Eastern Oregon returns to conference play next weekend, traveling to Portland to face Warner Pacific. First pitch is set for Friday, April 3 at 10 a.m.
