SALEM, Ore. – Mountaineers Softball got the 2022 season started on a positive note Saturday afternoon with an 8-3 road win over NCAA Division III foe Willamette University. The win gives Eastern Oregon the series lead going into the day two doubleheader at 1-0.
How it Happened
• Eastern Oregon had a productive outing on offense with nine hits and they committed just one error on the day.
• Defensively, the Mounties held the Bearcats (1-2) to just a pair of hits in game one. WU also committed two errors on the day in the loss.
• The Mounties wasted little time grabbing the lead, scoring a run in the first. A sacrifice fly by
Hannah Tyree scored
Caitlin Crist who got on with a leadoff double.
• Leading 1-0 to start, EOU never relinquished the lead. In the circle, starter
Amanda Smith pitched a complete game as her and the EOU defense were stout all seven innings.
• Both teams worked a 1-2-3 frame to end the second inning quickly. EOU then scored three runs in the third, while WU scored two and brough the score to 4-2.
• EOU got two runners on thanks to a leadoff bunt and a WU error. Two batters later
Madison Stateler reached on a fielder's choice, allowing
Karsyn Zaragoza to score.
• A wild pitch by the Bearcats in the next at bat scored the second run of the inning as
Rhyanne Oates crossed home plate. Tyree then hit an RBI groundout to second to score Stateler.
• The Bearcats ended their drought thanks to getting a pair of runners on that were both hit by pitch. Smith then walked a batter to load the bases before a fielder's choice combined with the lone EOU error of the day scored the two runs.
• Despite the error, Eastern escaped the jam and still led by two runs, 4-2. They held composure the rest of the game, giving up just one more run, while scoring four more on offense.
• The fourth saw just one run score for EOU.
Grace Gaither hit a one-out double to left and was immediately scored on an RBI double from
Kayla Berg. Smith then went 1-2-3 to close the fourth.
• In the fifth, WU managed to get two quick outs before EOU rallied.
Taylor Dow started things with a single, followed by a double from
Haley Ebner to get them in scoring position.
• With runners in scoring position, Gaither delivered. She knocked a two RBI double to deep right center to score Dow and Ebner, bringing EOU's lead to 7-2.
• WU did not score again until the sixth, but EOU also added a run in the same frame. Oates got on with a bunt, stole second, and scored on a dropped fly in left field to make it 8-2.
• A leadoff double and walk got two runners on for WU and a wild pitch allowed both to advance. An RBI groundout scored the Bearcats final run before EOU ended the inning.
• EOU managed one more hit in the seventh, but made nothing of it. Smith then wrapped her complete game going three-up, three-down to secure her first win of the season.
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
•
Grace Gaither tallied three hits in four at bats. She scored one run and tallied two RBIs.
•
Rhyanne Oates scored a pair of runs and finished 1-2 at the plate.
•
Hannah Tyree also racked up two RBIs thanks to a fly out and groundout.
•
Kayla Berg went 1-4 at the plate with one RBI.
•
Amanda Smith (1-0) pitched her first complete game of the year and fanned six batters.
For the Bearcats
• Mia Lund went 1-3 with one run scored and one RBI.
• Brianna Majors also hit 1-3 in the loss and scored one run.
• Jordyn Johnson (0-2) pitched five innings and struck out three batters.
By the Numbers
1 - Saturday's win is the first in program history over the Bearcats.
1 -
Amanda Smith pitched her first complete game of the year.
5 - The Mountaineers hit five doubles in the win, led by
Grace Gaither with two.
1 - Saturday's win is the first season opening win for Head Coach
Nicole Christian.
Up Next
• EOU and Willamette wrap up the series on Sunday, Feb. 13, with a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. in game one, with game two scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
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