No. 12 Oregon Tech finished 3-0 in Opening Round play and will advance to the 2015 NAIA Softball World Series.
No. 12 Oregon Tech Heads to NAIA Softball World Series with 5-4 win over No. 5 Saint Xavier
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – No. 12 Oregon Tech battled back from a three-run deficit, Karlie LeVeque tripled in the go-ahead run and the Owls held on to edge No. 5 Saint Xavier, 5-4, in the Opening Round Championship of the Oregon Tech Bracket.
Second-seed Oregon Tech (44-14) will advance to the 2015 NAIA Softball World Series presented by Security National Bank and Morningside College for the 10-team double-elimination championship played in Sioux City, Iowa from May 22-28. Saint Xavier, Ill. ends their season at 45-7-2.
Top-seed Saint Xavier, needing two wins today to move on, capitalized on a pair of Tech errors in the top of the first to move ahead 2-0. A walk loaded the bases for the Cougars and Savannah Kinsella roped a single scoring two runs. The Cougars made it 3-0 on a RBI single from Katie Sears in the second frame.
The Owls got on the board in the bottom of the third inning, cutting their deficit to 3-2. Katie Virtue doubled with McKenzie Shrum reaching first after she was hit by a pitch. A misplayed ground ball to second base off the bat of Tara Moates plated Virtue, putting runners on first and third. Tech made it a one-run game on a double steal scoring Shrum. Saint Xavier’s Nicole Nonnemacher got out of the inning on a spectacular dive and catch from Cougar shortstop Rebeka Ferguson.
A single run in the top of the fourth inning bumped the Cougars lead to 4-2. Kasey Kanaga’s one-out walk was followed by a run scoring double from Ferguson.
Saint Xavier threatened again in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with one out. Ann-Marie Guischer, in relief of starter Jessi Duncan, coaxed a ground out to home and a pop out, keeping the Owls in the game.
Tech eventually tied the contest at 4-all in the bottom of the fifth. Virtue singled and Shrum again was hit by a pitch. Tre Sullivan’s line-drive double to center-field scored both runners.
A two-out four-pitch walk to Cassidy Hoglund set up the Owls in the sixth. Shortstop Karly LeVeque jumped on the first pitch she saw driving the ball to right-center for the go-ahead run.
Riley Carleton, in relief of Guischer in the sixth, gave up a leadoff single in the top of the seventh, but got an out on a sacrifice bunt. Carleton, who earned her 20
th win in the circle this season, got a strikeout and a ground ball to LeVeque, who calmly threw to first for the final out.
Tech’s five hits all came from lefty’s, as Virtue and Sullivan finished with two each and LeVeque one hit, a triple and RBI, in the win. Sullivan doubled and drove in two with Virtue recording a double and single. Carleton (20-4) earned the win in her two inning stint. Duncan tossed four innings, allowing seven hits and four runs while striking out two. Guischer pitched the fifth inning giving up no hits and one walk.
For Saint Xavier, Shannon Lauret had two hits with Ferguson, Sears, Jessica Arebalo, Sarah Saunders and Megan James adding a hit each. Ferguson’s double was the only extra-base hit for the Cougars. Nonnemacher (26-5) suffered the loss, allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits while striking out two.