ATHERTON, Calif. -- The Eastern Oregon University softball team grabbed win No. 9 at Menlo College Tuesday. The Mountaineers split with the Oaks, 2-1 and 0-5.
Eastern came away with a win in a defense-powered first game. Both teams combined for nine hits in Game 1, EOU had five.
The Mountaineers’ Jennifer McDonnell threw a complete game, allowing four hits and no earned runs. The freshman allowed only two hits until Menlo added a pair of hits in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Both teams were held scoreless until Eastern Oregon (9-5) (1-3) put two runs on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning. Krista Kountz hit a double to left-center in the fourth which advanced Ashli Hughes to third base. Hughes would score on a wild pitch with the next batter, while Kountz moved to third. Kountz scored on a wild throw two batters later.
Jessica Cobb would be the lone Oaks’ player to score. In a dramatic finish with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Mountaineers would bobble a catch allowing Cobb to score, and loading the bases. EOU would snag a ground ball at third base and throw out Alisha Vegas for the final out.
Menlo would leave eight players on base in the first game, and Eastern Oregon left five. Mikayela Viramontes struck out four Mountaineer batters, walked one, and allowed one earned run. McDonnell struck out five batters and walked two. EOU committed three errors and Menlo (4-18) had one.
Eastern held the Oaks scoreless until Menlo College broke open a 0-0 game to score five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Oaks used four singles to drive in their winning runs in the inning.
McDonnell started the game for EOU until Whitney Hodges entered the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. McDonnell allowed five hits, no earned runs, walked one batter, and struck out two. Hodges was credited with the loss giving up five earned runs, three hits, and struck out two batters.
Cobb pitched a complete game giving up five hits, no earned runs, one walk, and four strike outs. Eastern left seven runners on base compared to Menlo’s eight. The Mountaineers committed three errors, and the Oaks had two.
EOU completes its long road trip Wednesday in Rocklin, Calif., against William Jessup University. The Warriors (15-8) are coming off of a sweep over Oregon Tech Monday.