Oregon Tech Sweeps Southern Oregon
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Sadie Birch homered twice with 6 RBI in game 2 and Ashley Sfetku hit a 3-run home-run in game 1 as Oregon Tech swept a Cascade Conference double-header from Southern Oregon University in its home opener, winning 3-2 and 9-3 Wednesday at the OIT Softball Complex. Oregon Tech improves to 7-2 in CCC play and 23-8 on the season; Southern Oregon drops to 21-15 on the year and 2-6 in CCC play. Oregon Tech will host Eastern Oregon at 2:00 pm Friday and College of Idaho Saturday at 11:00 am in CCC double-headers.
In game 1, Jessi Duncan picked up her 10th win, striking out 6 SOU batters in 6 1/3 innings. Rylee Carleton pitched the final 2/3 of the 7th to pick up her 2nd save of the year as the two pitchers held SOU to just 4-hits in tech’s 3-2 win. Southern Oregon took a 1-0 lead in the top 4th on a Kristen Ahern deep home-run to straight away centerfield. It was her 5th long ball of the year.
Tech would answer in the bottom of the frame. Tasha Silvius singled to start the inning, Birch then doubled down the left field line to give Tech the go ahead run in scoring position. They would both score as Sfetku hit her 5th home-run of the season to deep left field to give the Owls a 3-1 lead. Southern Oregon would add an un-earned run in the top of the 5th taking advantage on two OIT errors to draw closer at 3-2.
That would be all the scoring in the game, as both teams would threaten with SOU leaving 5 base runners on and Oregon Tech stranding 9 runners. Katie Virtue led the Owl offense with 2-hits. Cheyenne Bricker pitched well for the Raiders but was tagged with the loss as she slips to 8-4 in the circle.
In game 2, Birch would hit her 4th and 5th home-runs of the year and drive in 6 runners leading Tech to a 9-3 win. Carleton pitched the final 3 2/3 striking out 5 raiders to improve to 6-3 in the circle for OIT.
SOU started hot, with a Kelsey Randall single and a Alexa Gonzalez RBI double to take a 1-0 lead. Tech answered with 4-runs in the bottom of the frame highlighted by a Tre Sullivan double and a 3-run blast off the bat of Birch. OIT added to the lead with 2-runs in the bottom of 3rd. Tasha Silvius doubled, Birch then had an RBI single and Virtue would follow with a single to give Tech the 6-1 lead.
Southern Oregon added an un-earned run in the top of the 4th on 2-hits but would leave 3-runners on base as Carleton came into the game and closed the door on the Raider rally with a strike-out and a ground-out.
Sullivan doubled to lead off Tech’s 4th inning and would score on a Silvius double to give OIT a 7-2 lead. Birch struck again in the 6th, this time connecting on Brianne Graig fastball, hitting her 2nd round-tripper of the game, a 2-run blast to left field to give the Owls the 9-3 win. Birch and Silvius had 3-hits with Virtue and Sullivan adding 2-hits each to lead the Owls. Gonzales had 2-hits for SOU. Sydney White picked up the loss in the circle for SOU, slipping to 4-7 on the year and giving up 6-runs on 6-hits in 2-innings of work.