OKLAHOMA CITY – No. 15 Mountaineers Softball saw its historic 2022 season come to a close Wednesday morning as they fell in the NAIA Opening Round Championship to No. 2 Oklahoma City University, 6-1. Eastern Oregon finishes the year at 43-17 overall and as the Runner-Up of the Oklahoma City Bracket in the NAIA Opening Round.
Entering the 2022 campaign, EOU was picked to finish fifth in the Cascade Collegiate Conference but easily exceeded expectations. They finished third in both the regular season standings and at the CCC Tournament. The team's 43 wins now stands alone atop the record books for the most victories in a single season.
No. 2 Oklahoma City 6, No. 15 Eastern Oregon 1
How it Happened
• Helping the Stars (50-6) secure the NAIA World Series berth was an 8-5 edge in hits to go along with five EOU errors. The errors led to five unearned runs for OCU.
• Early on, the Mounties held the Stars to just one run through the first four innings. In the fifth, three runs helped OCU open its lead to 4-0 and the team never looked back.
• A pair of singles in the first inning and a groundout helped OCU get on the board early. A single to deep right center made it a 1-0 game and stayed there until late.
• Eastern had a chance in the bottom of the second as they loaded the bases with two outs. The Stars narrowly escaped the jam as a strikeout looking on
Caitlin Crist ended the frame.
• Through the next two frames OCU worked a pair of clean innings, going 1-2-3. EOU did so in the third and turned a double in the fourth to keep the game at 1-0.
• In the fifth, OCU got a runner on with a leadoff double and a dropped fly got two in scoring position. EOU got a pair of strikeouts from reliever
Amanda Smith before OCU finally scored.
• A single, a passed ball, and a wild pitch scored three runs for the Stars. The trio of unearned runs gave OCU the 4-0 lead and they added one in the sixth and seventh as insurance.
• EOU had an error in the sixth and two in the seventh that allowed OCU to score its two runs. An RBI groundout and a dropped fly ball scored the runs to put OCU up 6-0.
• In the seventh EOU looked to rally, but was held to just one run despite loading the bases. Three straight singles got runners on before an OCU wild pitch allowed
Rhyanne Oates to score.
• Oates' score brought the game to 6-1 with no outs. OCU then forced a pair of flyouts and a groundout to secure the win.
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
•
Rhyanne Oates batted 1-1 and scored a run.
• Both
Hannah Tyree and
Karsyn Zaragoza went 1-2 at the plate.
•
Haley Ebner and
Shelby Starr also hit 1-2 and drew a walk, respectively.
•
Amanda Smith pitched three frames in relief and had two strikeouts.
For the Stars
• Kaitlyn Jones batted 2-3 and scored one run.
• Kennedy Jackson went 1-4 and scored two runs.
• Rally Radacy Tiffany Paul was 1-3 with an RBI.
• Mallory McCoy and Amy Crabaugh both hit 1-3 with a run scored.
• Sheleby Cornelson pitched a complete game to improve to 32-3 and had six strikeouts.
By the Numbers
27 -
Caitlin Crist finished with 27 stolen bases, which is a new single season record.
65 - Entering year No. 4, head coach
Nicole Christian is at 65 wins and is five away from 70.
9 - EOU finishes the 2022 season with nine wins against ranked opponents.
0 - The Mounties did not allow a single home run in any game at the NAIA Opening Round.
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