Records Fall as No.15 Owls Sweep Beacons

4/19/2013 7:59:10 PM

 KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Oregon Tech blasted five homeruns in game 1, including a record-setting 17^th by senior Jess Plummer, to earn a 9-1 victory over Northwest Christian University in the opener as the game was ended by mercy rule. The Owls got by NCU in game 2 also by mercy rule 12-4, as Taylor Schmidt tied the Oregon Tech career record for wins by a pitcher at 77; Schmidt also hit a grand-slam homerun leading the Owls to the game 2 win. With the sweep, Oregon Tech improves to 35-12 on the season and 19-7 in Cascade Conference play. NCU slips to 3-17 in CCC play and 5-25 on the season.
 
Game 1 – Oregon Tech recorded back-to-back homeruns in each of the first and third innings as the Owls moved out to a 7-1 advantage after four complete.  With one out and Shauna Collins, who singled to lead off the game, on second base, Jess Plummer became the single-season Oregon Tech homerun leader as she drove a two strike pitch deep over the center field fence breaking the previous school record held by Meagan Webber (2001) and Amanda Doherty (2006) who each had 16. Sara Coates would follow up with a homerun of her own as the Owls led 3-0 after their first at-bat.
 
NCU tallied a single run in the third inning off of Tech starter Taylor Schmidt, who earned her 20^th victory of the season in the circle, as NCU trailed 3-1.  Schmidt allowed just four hits and no earned runs in the game 1 victory.
 
Oregon Tech followed up with a four-run fourth to make it 7-1.  The Owls once again went back-to-back with homeruns as Melissa Logan drove in three runs followed by Schmidt’s solo shot to give the Owls a six run cushion.
 
Schmidt held the Beacons scoreless over the next two innings while Tech’s Kaitlyn Anderson followed up a walk in the sixth inning by Collins with the Owls’ fifth homerun of the game to give the home team a 9-1 win due to the 8-run mercy rule.
 
Game 2 – Northwest Christian took the early lead 2-runs on 2-hits in the top of the first inning, highlighted by a Parker Bonife 2-run homerun.
 
Oregon Tech answered quickly, scoring 6-runs on 3-hits OIT took advantage of two walks and a hit batter as Taylor Schmidt hit her 6^th homerun of the season, a grand slam over the left field fence.
 
Tech added three more runs in the second inning on 4 singles and an NCU error to take a 9-2 lead.
 
Bonife then made it a 9-4 game as she hit her 2^nd homerun of the game, a 2-run shot in the top of the third inning.
 
The 9-4 score would hold until the bottom of the 5^th when Oregon Tech ended the game via the mercy rule, scoring 3-runs on 4-hits to win 12-4.
 
Tech’s Taylor Schmidt picked up her 21^st win of the year giving her 77 career wins tying her with Leslie Ernstrom (1999-2002)
 
Alyssa Davis and Jess Plummer each had 4-hits in the double-header to lead the OIT offense.
 
Bonife and Addy Hoskins led the NCU offence with 3-hits each in the double-header.
 
Oregon Tech will host No.10 Corban on Saturday with the double header starting at 11:00 am.  Oregon Tech will be honoring its five seniors between games.  Northwest Christian is playing at Southern Oregon University on Saturday also at 11:00 am.