LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University softball team collected two walk of victories as they swept the Pioneers of Lewis & Clark on Monday afternoon at Peggy Anderson Softball Field. The Mountaineers collected game one, 7-6, before taking the night cap 9-8.
Game One – The Pioneers took the early lead in game one as they scored two runs in the top of the first inning. Lewis & Clark’s first run came on a Hannah Dal Pra fielder’s choice, which scored Haley Robinson from third base. Lewis & Clark added one more in the top of the inning as they took advantage of a throwing error to score their second run.
Eastern Oregon answered right back in the bottom half of the inning. Mariebeth Watanabe doubled to left center to start the game off for EOU. Watanabe advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by JoElla Smith. After the Pioneers recorded the second out of the inning, Stephanie Maestretti walked to put two runners on base. Brittnee Carman-Rice came up to bat and with a 2-2 count hit a home run down the left field line to put EOU on top, 3-2. The next batter, Cassie Wendt, followed with a home run to center field to put EOU on top 4-2.
Lewis & Clark continued to chip away at the lead, in the top of the second inning Tiana Rosario singled to center scoring one for the Pioneers, trimming the Mountaineers lead to 4-3. However, in the bottom half of the inning the Mountaineers got the one run back as J. Smith singled to left to score Andrea Roeder putting EOU back on top by two runs, 5-3.
The score remained 5-3 until the bottom of the fourth inning; the Mountaineers scored one on an error by the shortstop to extend its lead to three runs, 6-3.
The Pioneers mounted their comeback in the top of the sixth inning. With runners on the corners Rosario singled, which scored Jenai Rojo and on the play Rosario advanced to second on a fielding error by the right fielder. The next batter for the Pioneers, Dal Pra tied the game at 6-6 after singled to right field which scored two runs.
With the game tied at 6-6, the Mountaineers broke the tie game in the bottom of the seventh inning. Katie Martell led off the inning with a single up the middle. Nicole Redd came in to pinch run for Martell and stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Pioneers catcher. Maestretti walked to put two runners on base and Georgianna Kelly came in to run for Maestretti and Kelly stole second base. With two runners on Carman-Rice singled to shortstop which scored Redd from third to give EOU the, 7-6, victory in game one.
Four Mountaineers collected two hits apiece in the game. Carman-Rice drove in four runs in game one. Lindsey Walchli picked up her fourth win of the season by going all seven innings.
Game Two – Like game one, Lewis & Clark broke onto the scoreboard first. In the top of the second inning the Pioneers put up four runs to take an early 4-0 lead over the Mountaineers. Four different players for the Pioneers recorded a RBI in the inning.
Eastern Oregon started to mount its comeback in the bottom of the third inning. Martell reached base on a walk and Maestretti followed with a hit by pitch, the Mountaineers were threatening with one out. The next batter up for EOU struck out and EOU had runners on first and second with two outs. The first pitch Wendt saw, she connected on to hit out to left center field for a three run home run, her second home run of the day, putting EOU down one run, 4-3.
The Pioneers extended its lead to five runs, 8-3, in the top of the fourth inning. With two runners on, Dal Pra singled to right field, which scored two, putting Lewis & Clark on top 6-3. The Pioneers added two more runs when Madison Hallenbeck hit a two run home run to put Lewis & Clark up five runs, 8-3.
Eastern Oregon again started to mount a comeback in the bottom of the fourth inning. With runners on second and third base, J. Smith doubled to right center to score two and put EOU down, 8-5. The Mountaineers were not done as two more EOU runs came around to score on a throwing error by the Pioneers shortstop and after four innings the Pioneers led 8-7.
The Mountaineers continued to battle and in the bottom of the sixth inning EOU came back to tie the game at 8-8. Carman-Rice reached on a fielder’s choice which scored J. Smith tying the game at 8-8.
Neither team would score in the seventh inning and the game would go to extra innings. After a leadoff walk to Hollenbeck in the top of the eighth inning, the Mountaineers got out of the inning without any damage.
The Mountaineers wasted little time to score the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Martell led off the inning with a double to right center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Walchli. Carman-Rice singled home Martell to give the Mountaineers a 9-8 victory.
Martell led the Mountaineers in game two with two hits. Wendt drove in three runs in game two. Walchli, who pitched an inning in relief, picked up her fifth win of the season and second of the day.
Eastern Oregon returns to action tomorrow, March 25, when they host College of Idaho at 3 p.m. at Peggy Anderson Softball Field.