Cameron Way drove in seven of Concordia's 17 runs on Saturday against OIT.
Cavs Clinch Top Seed with Oregon Tech Sweep
BOX SCORES - GAME 1 : GAME 2
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.—Playing against the lone team capable of unseating Concordia for the Cascade Collegiate Conference regular season championship, the Cavaliers swept Oregon Tech, 6-5 and 11-7, on Saturday to secure the top seed in the league championship softball tournament.
With the sweep, Concordia, ranked No. 5 in the NAIA poll, improved to 29-3 and 18-2 in league contests while OIT fell to 24-22 overall and 11-9 in the CCC. With the top seed, Concordia will host the CCC Tournament on May 7-8. The tournament will feature the top three finishers in the CCC's regular season standings. The tournament champion will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NAIA Championships, which are slated for May 20-26 in Decatur, Ala.
Concordia will conclude the regular season next week by hosting Southern Oregon on Friday, April 30 and Oregon Tech on May 2.
Heading into the final inning trialing 5-3 in the opener, Camy Way unloaded on a three-run home run to boost the Cavs to the win.
Before that, however, Oregon Tech struck first with a single run in the home half of the second as Taylor Schmidt led off the inning with a solo home run to left field.
CU scraped together a tying run in the third with an RBI single from Mallory Callahan to plate Laura Thorp, who led that attack with a one-out double, and briefly took the lead with another solo score in the fourth only to see the Owls square the match at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth with another solo shot, this time a one-out blast to left from Jess Plummer.
After scoring one run for the third straight frame with an RBI double by CU’s Ali Paz to send Kayla Vickaryous home, OIT pulled away with a three-spot in the bottom of the fifth with the aid of a two-run bomb by Ashleigh Larson.
After allowing a season-high five runs, CU starter Danielle Pulfrey escaped damage in the final two frames to set up Way’s game-winning swing in the seventh. Thorp and Vickaryous got the Cavs off to a quick start in their final offensive chance with back-to-back singles. Callahan followed with a groundout to advance both runners and Paz grounded out to third for the second out of the frame before Way sent the ball over the right-field fence for the eventual game-winning runs.
Pulfrey tossed a complete game for her 15th win of the season. The senior right-hander struck out six while giving up five runs on eight hits. She did not walk a batter.
Becca Anderson started for the Owls, lasting 4.1 before giving way to Mikey Eustance. Both pitchers allowed three runs with Eustance taking the loss.
Way finished the game going 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Vickaryous went 3-for-4 with two runs scored as the team’s leadoff hitter. Oregon Tech tallied eight hits compared to 13 for the Cavs. Larson, Schmidt and Sierra Patzke each had multi-hit performances.
In the second game, OIT generated the game’s first score with a run in the second but would squander the advantage by allowing five runs in the top of the third, the bulk of which came off a three-run homer by Becca Gawlista.
OIT stormed back in the bottom of the third with four runs on just one hit. The Owls collected two walks and a hit batter to load the base to set up a game-tying grand slam by Sara Coates. In the fifth, the Owls took a 6-5 lead with a single run before CU placed six on the board in the sixth inning for a 11-6 advantage.
The Cavs scored their six runs on five hits and two errors with Way providing the big blow by launching a three-run home run to center, her second such strike of the day.
With no one on base, Schmidt homered to center, the team’s fifth of the day, for the final score.
Renee Santos picked up the win with five innings of work while Pulfrey pitched the final two frames for the save. Oregon Tech used four pitchers in the nightcap with Schmidt starting and lasting three innings.
Concordia outhit the Owls 14-9 in the second game with Way and Courtney Wooden each collecting three hits. Way finished the doubleheader with a combined 5-for-8 at the plate with seven RBI and four runs scored. Schmidt and Coates both went 2-for-3 to lead the Owls.