GAME 1 BOX GAME 2 BOX
LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University softball team won one of two against Northwest Christian University Saturday, 5-3 and 4-6. The second game went 11 innings.
In Game 1, the Mountaineers (4-11) (1-3) picked up their first victory of the season when they have scored less than six runs in a game, and second win when the opponent scores first. After neither team scored in the first inning, NCU recorded three runs off of four hits. With two outs, Lissa Hatefi singled to center field, driving in Jazzmyne Villarruel. Gabby Stover, the next batter, singled to right field brining in Hatefi and Laynee Bevans.
Eastern recorded the next hit in the bottom of the third inning when McKenzie Desin singled to left field. The next batter, Mariebeth Watanabe, would be walked, and then Emily Anderson brought Desin into score with a double to right center field. Watanabe and Anderson each scored later off an Ashli Hughes single. Jennifer McDonnell had the final RBI of the inning bringing in Sarah Jackson.
With Eastern Oregon leading 4-3, the Beacons only recorded two hits in the final four innings. The Mountaineers scored a sealing run in the fifth inning when Jackson came across home plate with two outs after McDonnell singled to center field.
McDonnell was credited with the victory after throwing a complete game. The sophomore allowed two earned runs and seven hits. She struck out three batters and walked another. McDonnell threw 89 pitches, and 64 were strikes. EOU left seven runners on base, while Northwest Christian stranded five.
The second game was a two-hour, 27-minute battle through wind, passing clouds, and small amounts of falling snow. McDonnell threw another complete game for the Mountaineers, tossing 184 pitches in the 11-inning contest. She threw 111 strikes in the game, allowing five earned runs. McDonnell struck out seven batters and walked seven.
The Beacons took an early 1-0 lead after the first inning and neither team scored again until the fifth inning. EOU had a breakout fifth inning, scoring four runs on three hits. Hughes drove a ball deep over the center field fence scoring two runs, and Watanabe and Anderson each would later score. NCU added a run in the next inning with a Hatefi RBI.
Eastern Oregon led 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning until the Beacons recorded a pair of runs to tie the score. Becca Lillegard singled to right field bringing in Gabby Stover. Northwest Christian recorded two game-winning runs on three hits in the top of the 11th.
The Mountaineers left a total of six runners on base from the seventh to the ninth innings. EOU left nine runners on base in the game, the Beacons left 14. NCU also committed four errors to Eastern’s two. Jenna Royce recorded the win, allowing eight hits and no earned runs through seven innings.
Eastern travels to University of Great Falls in Great Falls, Mont. for its next games. The Mountaineers and UGF play Tuesday and Wednesday. EOU returns to Peggy Anderson Field next Friday and Saturday for conference doubleheaders against Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech.