Oregon Tech senior Jenni Bittle was 3-5 hitting and pitched the Owls to a win today against Concordia (Photo by Kelly Caleb).
No. 21 Lady Owls Sweep Concordia
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. -- First place in the Cascade Conference was up for grabs going into today’s double-header between the first place Owls and the second place Cavaliers of Concordia. When the dust settled, Tech had a four-game lead in the Cascade Collegiate Conference standings and a sweep. OIT won game one 4-3 and game two 12-2. With the two wins, Oregon Tech improves to 14-2 in the CCC and 26-10 overall. With the losses, Concordia slips to 10-6 in the CCC and 15-12 overall.
Game one started as a pitchers' duel between Concordia’s Danielle Pulfrey (Hillsboro, Ore) who took a 13-7 record into today’s game and Oregon Tech’s Jenni Bittle (Central Point, Ore) who started the game with a 13-5 record. Concordia was on the scoreboard first scoring one run in the 1st on a Janellee Cristifaro (Central Point, Ore) double that scored Nicole Illias (Beaverton, Ore) who had walked. The game stayed that way until the 5th when Tech’s Brittany Warren (Longview, Wash) hit a homerun to left field to tie the game at one. Tech scored two more times in the bottom of the 6th highlighted by on RBI double by Katie King (Hillsboro, Ore) and an RBI single by Jenny Austin (Grants Pass, Ore) to take a 3-1 lead into the top of the 7th. Shayna Ostlund (Graham, Wash) doubled to start the inning but looked as if she would be left there as the next two batters got out. Enter Nicole Illias who took a 3-2 fastball over the right field fence to tie the game at 3-3. It was Tech’s turn in the bottom of the 7th as with one out Andria Wheatley (Springfield, Ore) doubled to center. After Sunny Titus (Salem, Ore) grounded out, Amber Sinicrope (Kirkland, Wash) then hit a slow dribbler to the second baseman that was bobbled, allowing Sinicrope to hustle her way to first safely, and Wheatley to score the game winner all the way from 2nd as Tech won 4-3.
Bittle got the win for Tech, moving to 14-5 on the season as she struck out 8, walked 1 giving up 3 runs (all earned) on 6 hits. Pulfrey gave up 6 hits and 4 runs (3 earned), struck out 9 Tech hitters and walked 2 for the loss.
Game two was all OIT as the Lady Owls scored 12 times in the 2nd inning on 8 hits and 2 Cavaliers errors. Oregon Tech’s Sunny Titus (Salem, Ore) had 5 RBIs and two hits in the 2nd inning to lead the Owls. Joining Titus with 2 hits for the game were Jenni Bittle, Brittany Warren and Jenny Austin. Concordia got on the scoreboard in the 3rd inning as Illias and Cristofaro each singled then scored on a double by Rebekah Wirkkala (Vancouver, Wash). Keri Gesner (Orting, Wash) went the distance for OIT, allowing 2 runs (both earned), giving up 8 hits and striking out two.
The Lady Owls will host Corban College (11-16, 8-8 in the CCC) in a double header on Saturday 4/19. The first pitch for game one has been moved from 11:00 am back to 12 Noon at the softball complex on the campus of Oregon Tech.