SAN JOSE, Calif. – In a battle of two preseason NAIA top 10 teams, it was No.9 Hope International (11-1) taking game one, 5-3 and No.10 Oregon Tech (7-5) winning the night cap 11-9 after falling behind early 6-0 to hand the Royals there first loss of the year, as the teams split the doubleheader at Valley Christian High School.
"I am extremely proud of this group of kids," said Head Coach
Greg Stewart. "They showed a lot of character after coming off a tough loss yesterday and then coming up short in the first game today. Many teams would have packed it in after being down 6-0 and dealing with another long day of several rain delays. Instead, our kids battled through adversity to cap off one of the best comebacks I have had the pleasure to see here at Tech."
Game 1 Hope International 5 Oregon Tech 3
HIC took the early lead scoring 2-runs in the 2
nd inning and 3-runs in the 3
rd to go up 5-0.
OIT scored one-run in the 4
th and two-runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 5-3 but could not get any closer falling by the 5-3 score.
Dre Sotelo had two-hits including a home run with Kiahna Brown adding her first homer of the year to lead OIT in the loss.
Tech's Sarah Abramson picked up the loss giving up 5-runs, all earned to move to 2-2 on the season.
Game 2 Oregon Tech 11 Hope International 9
Once again it was the Royals jumping out early as the Owls spotted them six-runs in the first inning.
Tech finally broke through in the 3
rd with three-runs on a pair of hits highlighted by a Shayna Ige double to cut the lead to 6-3.
HIC score three-runs in the top of the 4
th to up 9-3 on a two-run home run by Taylor Pierce.
OIT then owned the scoreboard with three-runs on three-hits in the bottom of the 4
th to cut the lead to 9-6.
Tech then took its first lead of the day with five-runs in the bottom of the 5
th highlighted by Ali Graham's third homer of the year as Tech went up 11-9.
Graham, Sotelo, and Cierra Barkis had two-hits each in the win.
Abramson came back in game two to pick up her third win of the year pitching 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts.
Oregon Tech will wrap up its six game weekend road trip at Menlo College in Atherton, California at 11:00 am.
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