Sunny Titus leads the Owls into Region I play with four hits and five RBI in a Tech sweep at Southern Oregon today. (photo by Kelly Caleb)
Tech Takes Two at Southern
ASHLAND, Oregon (May 2, 2008)—Oregon Tech, this year’s Cascade Conference Champion, handed the Southern Oregon Raiders a doubleheader loss by scores of 6-3 and 12-1 Friday afternoon at University Field in Ashland. With the wins, OIT bounced back from two losses at C of I last weekend to finish the regular season 34-12 overall and 20-4 in CCC play. Tech will next host the NAIA Region I Tournament in Klamath Falls with both Simon Fraser and Concordia already in, with the fourth seed to be determined tomorrow. The winner of the Region I tournament will advance to the NAIA Softball World Series.
In game 1 the Owls jumped up 1-0, as a Brittany Warren RBI single drove in the first run of the game. SOU would then tie the game at 1-1 heading to the second, but OIT took a lead they would not relinquish when Chelsea McNeal singled and an Andria Wheatley double put runners at second and third for Sunny Titus, who followed with a two-run single that put the Owls up 3-1.
The Raiders then cut the lead to 3-2, but two Tech runs in the fourth inning made it 5-2 and a solo shot by CCC Player of the Week Brittany Warren closed out the scoring, as the Owls finished off the Raiders 6-3.
Tech dominated game 2 rolling to a 12-1 win in six innings, thanks to a huge 8-run top of the sixth. Tech’s Amber Sinicrope started things off with a walk followed by a Jenni Bittle single. Both runners then advanced on a ground out by Katie King. A wild pitch then allowed both base runners to score, making it 2-0 Tech with SOU coming to bat.
The Owls put two more runs across in the third with Brittany Warren coming through again, this time with an RBI single, and later plating a run on another wild pitch, making it 4-0.
The Raiders would then score their lone run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, cutting the lead to 4-1. Still up 4-1 heading to the sixth, a hot hitting Brittany Warren connected for her second home run of the day to start the 8-run sixth inning rally. Sunny Titus then walked and a triple by Sinicrope plated another run. Jenni Bittle then doubled that scored Sinicrope and then Katie King followed with an RBI that made it 8-1. The Owls then loaded the bases, only to get help from a Southern throwing error that plated two more runs making it 10-1 OIT. Tech’s Sunny Titus, up for a second time in the inning, then double home two additional runs to go up 12-1.
SOU went quietly in the bottom of the sixth with two easy ground outs and fly ball to end the game.
On the day, Sunceray Titus drove in five runs followed by three RBI by Brittany Warren, each with five hits for the Owls. Jenni Bittle improved to 17-6 in the circle, striking out two and allowing nine hits, while going 4-7 at the plate. Tech’s Bree Larson drove in three runs on the day. Tech pitcher Keri Gesner picked up the win in game 2, improving her record to 15-6 on the season, allowing only four hits and striking out one hitter.
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