LA GRANDE, Ore. – With the regular season title on the line, No. 5 Eastern Oregon Softball delivered a statement performance on Day 1, sweeping No. 1 Oregon Tech with 4-0 and 11-9 victories.
Natalie Dimitrov headlined the day, tossing a complete-game shutout in Game 1 and returning for 1.2 innings of relief in Game 2 to earn both wins.
Game 1
The opener lived up to its "best of the best" billing, featuring a tightly contested battle both in the circle and at the plate. Dimitrov was in command from start to finish, working all 7.0 innings while allowing just four hits and three extra base runners. Backed by a sharp and disciplined Eastern defense, the Mountaineers limited the Owls to just one runner reaching third base, consistently coming up with clutch plays to keep Oregon Tech off the scoreboard.
On the other side, Kristine Schmidt matched that intensity early, holding Eastern to just two hits through the first three innings while keeping the Mountaineers in check. The breakthrough finally came in the fourth, when
Hope Burke stepped to the plate and launched a solo home run to left field, breaking the scoreless tie and putting Eastern on the board.
Eastern added breathing room in the sixth after loading the bases through a string of hits and fielder's choices. With two outs,
Brylin Field delivered a deep drive over the left fielder's head, racing around the bases for what nearly became an inside-the-park home run. The hit easily plated two runs, and an errant throw allowed a third to score—nearly a fourth, as Field aggressively rounded and charged for home, but she was ultimately tagged out at the plate attempting to complete the play.
With a 4-0 lead in hand, Dimitrov shut the door in the seventh, allowing just one hit before retiring the Owls to seal the first upset of the day.
Game 2
The second game unfolded as a back-and-forth battle, with momentum swinging sharply between both teams.
Oregon Tech struck first, loading the bases in the opening inning and capitalizing on a wild pitch to take an early 1-0 lead. Eastern answered immediately in the bottom half, as
Raygun Klippert reached on a bunt the pitcher couldn't cleanly handle. With two outs, Burke came through again, blasting her second home run of the day to give the Mountaineers a 2-1 edge.
Both teams traded zeros over the next two innings before Oregon Tech surged ahead in the fourth. The Owls applied pressure against three different Eastern pitchers, loading the bases and stringing together singles, a hit-by-pitch, a walk, and a sacrifice fly to reclaim a 5-2 lead.
Eastern wasted no time responding. Burke opened the inning with a single, setting the stage for
Emily Barry, who launched a towering two-run homer to pull the Mountaineers within one.
Allison Baumgart followed with a walk and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches. With two outs, Klippert came through with a clutch double to left, tying the game at 5-5.
The rally continued as
Isabella Lauerman battled deep into the count before drawing a go-ahead walk, and
Lexi Grumbois capped the inning with an RBI single to give Eastern a 7-5 advantage.
The Owls answered again in the sixth, stringing together five hits—along with the help of a Mountaineer error—to retake the lead at 9-7 and force yet another pitching change.
But Eastern's offense refused to slow down. In the bottom half,
Elizabeth Heinz drew a leadoff walk, followed by a double and another walk to bring in a run. Grumbois delivered once more, singling to right to score Klippert—who set the new EOU single-season program record with 51 runs—and tie the game at 9-9.
With the bases still loaded, Baumgart put a hard ball in play to first. The first baseman attempted to cut down the runner at home, but the throw sailed off target, allowing two runs to score and giving Eastern an 11-9 lead.
Dimitrov, still in the circle in relief, took control in the final inning. She induced a groundout and a lineout before working a deep count against the final batter and finishing the game with a strikeout, securing the 11-9 victory and her second win of the day.
Up Next
Saturday's matchup will determine the regular season champion. Oregon Tech holds a one-game lead, meaning Eastern must win Game 3 to earn a share of the title and secure hosting rights for the CCC Tournament Championship as the No. 1 seed. First pitch is set for 11 a.m., followed by a Senior Day celebration ahead of a nonconference Game 4.
