REDDING, Calif. – Sophomore second baseman Maryssa Santi mustered a pair of RBI singles to give the Eastern Oregon University softball team a chance, but the Mountaineers’ effort ultimately fell short in a 3-2 loss to No. 16 Dickinson State (N.D.) on Tuesday afternoon in the Opening Round of the NAIA National Championship.
With the loss, fourth-seeded EOU capped its season at 29-23 overall, while second-seeded Dickinson State improved to 46-11.
While Santi drove home a pair of runs for EOU, senior center fielder Shelby Baertsch batted 3-for-3 in her final game as a Mountaineer. The Navy and Gold bode farewell to a trio of seniors in Baertsch, shortstop Haley Hess, and first baseman Marisa Gonzalez.
In the circle, sophomore righty Hailey Kline collected two strikeouts in the losing effort, brining her season total to 113 Ks in her inaugural season as a Mountaineer.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, Baertsch belted a one-out double to get in scoring position and later crossed home plate thanks to a game-tying RBI single by Santi.
The Blue Hawks fired back with a pair of runs on two hits in the fourth to regain the edge, but the Mountaineers continued to hang around. Junior designated player Lauren Burchak and Baertsch opened the bottom of the fourth with singles, and then Santi smacked an RBI single down the right-field line to make it a one-run (3-2) affair.
In the sixth, EOU escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam to keep the contest close, turning a lineout into a double play and forcing a pop out at third base.
The Mountaineers put the tying run on second with no outs in the bottom half of the sixth, but the Blue Hawks forged a double play of their own and a groundout to keep EOU at bay.
In addition to collecting a conference tournament title, EOU put the finishing touches on its first winning season since 2005 and its first NAIA Softball National Championship appearance in 16 years.