SALEM, Ore. – Eastern Oregon capped its final road series against Corban in commanding fashion, combining timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and dominant pitching to secure a pair of six-inning run-rule victories, 9-0 and 9-1 over the Warriors.
Game 3
After working out of an early jam in the opening game—thanks to
Natalie Dimitrov stranding a bases-loaded threat in the first inning—the Mountaineers gradually seized momentum. The breakthrough came in the third, when
Brylin Field set the tone with a leadoff single and
Raygun Klippert followed with an RBI knock to put Eastern on the board. Klippert's speed created another opportunity as she swiped second and later came around to score on a
Lexi Grumbois double, giving Eastern a lead it would not relinquish.
From there, the Mounties continued to apply pressure.
Emily Barry sparked the fourth inning with a triple and later scored, while disciplined at-bats and heads-up baserunning forced a Corban error that extended the advantage. Eastern's lineup kept producing in the fifth, as
Allison Baumgart drove in a run with a double before a string of hits from
Kelly Monaghan, Field, and Heinz pushed the lead to seven.
While the offense built separation, Eastern's pitching staff ensured Corban never found its footing. Dimitrov set the tone early, and
Maliyah Mann took over in relief, striking out four across three scoreless innings. Even when the Warriors loaded the bases in the fifth, Eastern's defense held strong to preserve the shutout.
The final blow came in the sixth, when
Kaya Enriquez delivered in a pinch-hit opportunity, ripping a two-RBI single to push the lead to 9-0 and trigger the run rule.
Camille Schmitz entered to close things out, recording two strikeouts as Eastern secured the six-inning shutout victory.
Dimitrov, Mann, and Schmitz combined for a 6 inning runrule shutout victory. Mann (15-1) recorded the win with 3.0 innings of work, striking out four. Vanesa Quinones (0-8) recorded the loss for the Warriors.
Game 4
Eastern wasted no time carrying that energy into the second game, exploding for four runs in the first inning. Klippert and Lauerman ignited the rally with hits and stolen bases, setting up Grumbois to drive in two more runs. Extra-base hits from Burke and Monaghan quickly stretched the lead and put Corban on its heels from the start.
The offensive surge continued in the second inning, as Eastern strung together five consecutive singles to add to its lead. Baumgart later reached on an error that brought in another run, extending the margin to 8-0 and putting the run rule in effect early.
With a comfortable cushion, Schmitz settled into a rhythm in the circle, backed by a sharp defensive effort. Corban managed to break through in the fourth inning, taking advantage of a pair of wild pitches before Pressley Staudenmaier delivered an RBI single to make it 8-1. However, that would be the lone bright spot for the Warriors.
Eastern responded in the sixth, manufacturing another run after
Irene Griswold reached base and
Hannah Ebner came through with a clutch two-out RBI single to restore the run-rule margin. From there, the Mounties closed the door, retiring the side to secure the 9-1 victory and complete the sweep.
With the pair of wins, Eastern Oregon claimed the CCC series 2-1 and finished with a 3-1 edge in the season series over Corban.
Isabella King (2-0) earned the win with 3.0 innings of work, striking out two, while Amy Jankowski (1-2) recorded the loss for the Warriors.
Up Next
The Mountaineers now return home for their final conference series of the season, where they will face No. 1 Oregon Tech beginning Friday, April 24, with Saturday's games set to include Senior Night celebrations.
