Owls Sweep Northwest for 6th Straight CCC Win
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Oregon Tech set a school record and tied a Cascade Conference record with 5 home runs in game 1, and then set the school record with three more homers in game 2, for a total of 8 home runs in their 10-2, and 11-3 doubleheader sweep over Northwest University Saturday afternoon at the OIT Softball Complex. Oregon Tech improves to 9-1 in CCC play and 16-11 on the year and hae now won 6 straight CCC games. The Eagles fall to 7-15 overall and 4-8 in conference action.
All American Tara Moates had three of the Owls’ 8-homers with freshman Ali Graham adding a long ball in each game as she went 7 for 7 in the doubleheader with 8-RBI. Graham also pitched the Owls to the game 2 win, giving her three consecutive victories in the circle.
Game 1
Moates wasted no time in setting the tone for the day as she hit a two out solo homer to deep left to give the Hooter the 1-0 lead.
After a scoreless second inning, Moates did it again, hitting a one-out solo home run to put Tech up 2-0. An RBI single by Graham scored Tre Sullivan who doubled to give the Owls a 3-0 lead after 3 innings.
A solo homer by Savannah Rush cut the Tech lead to 3-1 in the top of the 4
th inning.
Tech then put up 6-runs in the bottom of the 4
th all with two-outs. Moates was walked, then Sullivan laced her first homer of the season to deep left field to give the Hooter a 5-1 lead. Cassidy Hoglund then walked and Graham followed with her first home run of the day, a deep blast to left to put the Owls up 7-1. Sadie Birch then singled and Alyssa Davis followed with her 3
rd HR of the season, giving Tech the 9-1 lead.
Janey Ganta slammed her second homer of the year over the centerfield fence to cut the Tech lead to 9-2 in the top of the 5
th.
A Hoglund double scored McKenzie Shrum for OIT in the bottom of the 5
th as the game ended on mercy rule 10-2.
Ann-Marie Guischer picked up the win, to improve to 7-4 on the year.
Graham had 3-hits in the game with Moates, Sullivan, Hoglund, Birch, and Davis all adding 2-hit each to lead the Owl offense.
Game 2
Tech jumped out to 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first highlighted by a Graham Grand Slam HR.
OIT made it 9-0 with 4-runs in the second inning highlighted by a Moates homer.
Northwest answered in the top of the 4
th as Allie Anderegg hit a 3-run home run to dep center to cut the Owl lead to 9-3.
Graham continued to swing a hot bat, ripping a double of the wall in the top of the 4
th scoring Lynzee Wortman to give the Hooter a 10-3 lead.
After a scoreless 5
th inning, Tech ended the game in the bottom of the 6
th on mercy rule as Jacey Conklin laced an RBI single to center field scoring Graham from third as the Owls won 11-3.
Graham picked up the win in the circle improving to 5-5. She also led the Owl offense going 4-4 with 5-RBI. Birch added 3-hits in the win with Moates chipping 2-hits and 2-RBI to improve her batting average to .500 on the year.
Aubree Slocum had 2-hits for the Eagles.
Oregon Tech will continue CCC play on Tuesday, March 29
th with a doubleheader in Ashland, Ore. against Southern Oregon University. The Raiders are nationally ranked at No. 16 with a record of 21-9 and 7-3 in CCC play.