Oregon Tech shortstop Shauna Collins finished with four hits in wins over Great Falls and Simpson. (photo by Kelly Caleb)
Oregon Tech Pounds Out 24 Hits in Pair of Wins
MEDFORD, Ore. – The Oregon Tech Softball team used a three-run first inning to take control of game 1 and came back from a two-run deficit in game 2 to sweep a pair of non-conference games played in Medford in day 1 of the Southern Oregon Invitational tournament.
Top-ranked Oregon Tech tallied 10 hits in the opener to take down Great Falls University 7-2, and used a 14 hit barrage, including four doubles and two homeruns, to defeat Cal Pac foe Simpson University 12-4 in five innings due to the mercy-rule.
Morgan Barnes went five strong in the opener to improve to 4-1 on the season, striking out nine and allowing just four hits. Melissa Logan allowed no runs finishing up the final two innings in the win.
Great Falls jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before Tech tallied three runs in their first at bat to regain the lead. That would be all the run support Barnes would need, as the Owls tacked on a pair of runs in the third inning and one in the fourth and sixth innings to gain the win.
Shauna Collins, Elise Goodell and Taylor Schmidt finished with two hits each with Ashleigh Larson adding a two-run double. Collins and Barnes also added doubles in game 1.
In game 2 the Owls trailed 3-1 after one inning, but a five run second and five more in the fifth inning proved to be too much for Simpson to overcome. Leading 12-3, Simpson was able to add a single run in the fifth, but Tech pitcher Amber Knight would silence the Redhawk bats in her relief inning and not let the game continue, winning the shortened contest 12-4.
Taylor Schmidt improved to 5-0 in the circle for the Owls allowing three hits while striking out four.
Collins added two more hits in the nightcap, while Larson finished 2-for-4, Kayde Schaefer 2-for-4 and Jess Plummer 3-for-4 in the game. Plummer was a single shy of the cycle with a double, triple and a homerun, her fourth on the season, along with four RBI. Schaefer hit her fourth homerun of the year and drove in a pair of runs, with Janelle Cromie and Sara Coates driving in two runs apiece.
Oregon Tech (10-2) will face the same two teams tomorrow beginning with Great Falls at 3 p.m. and Simpson at 5 p.m.