Oregon Tech's Karly LeVeque had a pair of hits, including a triple in 4-2 loss to Simpson.
Oregon Tech Comeback Bid Falls Short versus Simpson
REDDING, Calif. – No. 7 Simpson University notched four runs in their first at-bat and held off a late Oregon Tech comeback, defeating the Owls 4-2 on day 2 of the Simpson University NAIA Opening Round Bracket.
In an elimination game today at 3:30 p.m. the Owls will face the winner of Dickinson State and Eastern Oregon University, contested at 1 p.m. today, for a chance to move into tomorrow’s championship game versus SU. Wednesday Simpson will need one win to move on to the 2016 NAIA World Series, while their opponent will have to win twice to continue their season.
Katie Virtue singled in the top of the first inning for Tech, but was stranded at second base.
Simpson utilized a pair of walks and a hit batter in the bottom of the first, posting four runs on four hits. Ann-Marie Guischer, yesterday’s winner for Tech, started the game but was replaced by Kelly Scott with no outs in the opening frame. Scott was brilliant in relief, holding the Red Hawks scoreless in her stint in the circle, scattering five hits in six innings of work while striking out four.
Tech looked to cut their deficit in the third inning after Karly LeVeque singled and reached second on an error. With two outs Virtue singled to center, her second hit of the game, looking to score LeVeque, but was gunned down at the plate.
Both teams remained scoreless over the next four innings before the Owls pushed across a run in the top of the sixth making it a 4-1 game. LeVeque one-hopped the wall in right field for a leadoff triple, followed by a sacrifice fly by McKenzie Shrum. A line out and fly out ended the threat.
Sydni Scott kept Tech’s hopes alive in their last at-bat with a bunt single and reaching second on SU’s second error of the game. With two outs and a ground ball to shortstop, SU committed their third error, a dropped ball by the first baseman on the play, plating Scott and closing the gap to 4-2. A pinch hit single by Sadie Birch put runners on first and second. LeVeque’s line drive to right-center looked to tie it up, but an over-the-shoulder running catch ended the game by the same 4-2 score.
Oregon Tech recorded six hits with Virtue a pair of singles and LeVeque a single and triple. Sydni Scott and Birch added singles during the seventh inning rally.