Long Ball Leads No.13 Tech to Sweep Over Eastern
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Oregon Tech hit 5-home runs as the Owls swept a Cascade Conference double-header over Eastern Oregon 5-1, and 7-5, Friday afternoon at the OIT Softball Complex. Tech improves to 9-2 in CCC play and 25-8 on the year. Eastern falls to 12-15 overall and 3-7 in CCC play with the losses.
Game 1 Sadie Birch clubbed her 3rd home run in two games and Ashley Sfetku added a 2-run blast asOregon Tech took game 1, 5-1. Jessi Duncan pitched the first 5-innings giving up 1-run on 4-hits.Rylee Carleton finished of the Mounties, pitching the final 2-innings, allowing no-runs and two hits to pick up her 3rd save of the year.
Tech took the early 1-0 lead, scoring an un-earned run on 2-hots in the bottom of the first.
Eastern tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the 2nd as Gracie Flyg led off the inning with a single and scored EOU’s only run of the game on a CeCe Pratt RBI single.
Sadie Birch hit her 3rd home run in the last 2 games, her 6th of the year, to lead off the 2nd-inning to give Tech the 2-1 lead. Ashley Sfetku then laced a double to right-center and later scored on an RBI single off the bat of Katie Virtue.
Sfetku stayed hot, hitting a 2-run blast over the right field wall to give Tech the 5-1 win.
In game 2, McKenzie Shrum homered twice and Kayla Prock put the game away with a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 6th as OIT held on for the 7-5 win.
Tech took the early 1-0 lead on back-to-back doubles from Shrum and Tara Moates in the bottom of the 1st.
Shrum added to the Tech lead in the 3rd inning, hitting her 4th home run of the year, a 2-out blast to left field.
EOU tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the 4th on 3-hits highlighted by Shelby Baertsch 2-run home run. It was her 6th of the year for the Mountaineers.
OIT grabbed the lead back scoring 2-runs in the 5th on Shrum’s second home-run of the game, a 2-run shot to left field giving the Owls a 4-2 lead.
Tech added 3 BIG insurance runs in the bottom of the 6th as Kayla Prock hit a towering 3-run blast to left field to put the home team up 7-2 heading to the 7th.
Eastern would not go quietly in the 7th, scoring 3-runs, all un-earned, and taking advantage of 2 OIT errors to make it a 7-5 game.
Tech’s starting pitcher Rylee Carleton was able to keep her composure and with two outs, a runner on third base, and the tying run at first base, she was able to get CeCe Pratt to strike out as Tech held on for the 7-5 win.
Oregon Tech will host College of Idaho on Saturday at 11:00 am for a double-header at the OIT Softball Complex. Eastern will travel to Ashland for a Saturday date with SOU also slated for 11:00 am.