Softball 2/19/2019 6:05:00 PM Iain Dexter, EOU Sports Information Director Mountaineers Split Final 2 Games at Simpson REDMOND, Calif. – The Eastern Oregon softball team won its first game of the season on Tuesday, splitting a pair of games at Simpson, 8-6 and 4-6 to end the six-game road trip in California. GAME 1 | (RV) Eastern Oregon 8, (RV) Simpson 6 The Mountaineers (1-5) broke through in the win column with some strong hitting in the opening game of the day. EOU tallied 11 total hits, including three home runs in the victory. The Blue and Gold scored the first run of the game in the opening frame, but Simpson was able to answer with three of their own to go-ahead 3-1. From there it was mostly EOU, as they scored runs in the next five innings. Sophomore Madison Parker and senior Madison Barr had RBI singles in the second inning to the tie the score at 3-3. In the third, senior Tayler Finch scored freshman Haley Ebner on a double to go ahead 4-3. The Redhawks answered with a run of their own in the third, before senior Shevan DeFreitas blasted her first home run to once again take the lead 5-4. After Simpson again answered with one run, junior transfer Ashley Kelly hit her first Mountaineer home run, a two-run shot scoring junior Jordan Henley, to put the Mounties ahead 7-5. An insurance solo home run by senior Rayne Spencer solidified the win for EOU. Sophomore Amanda Smith pitched a complete game and won her first game as a Mountaineer, striking out five batters over seven innings. GAME 2 | (RV) Simpson 6 (RV), Eastern Oregon 4 EOU broke through with a three-run third inning in an early pitcher's dual for the first runs of the game. The runs came on DeFreitas' three-run homer, scoring Spencer and Barr on the play. The Redhawks took control of the game, however, tallying two runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth, courtesy of a three-run home run of their own. EOU was held to five hits, two by senior Hannah Rothwell, two by DeFreitas and one by Spencer. The Mounties scored one run in the top of the seventh and had the tying run on base, but were unable to knot the score. Junior Ashton Kazmierski pitched 4.1 innings, allowing five runs with a strikeout. Junior Jessica Lambert allowed one run in 1.2 innings in relief. The Mountaineers have a quick turn around before their next road trip, heading to Portland for the Cavalier Classic. EOU will play Western Washington twice, Concordia and Central Washington, beginning Friday at 9:30 a.m. For more information on Eastern Oregon softball, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com. FOLLOW EOU ATHLETICS Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Contact: Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946; idexter@eou.edu