SURPRISE, Ariz. – Gina Allen and Puakea Milbourne hit home runs, Sawyer Stenson had a 5-hit day, and transfer Kristine Schmidt made a splash in her Oregon Tech debut, as the Lady Owls opened the season with a doubleheader sweep of Ottawa (Ariz.).
No. 10-ranked OIT (2-0) earned a 9-4 win in Game 1, while rallying late for a 10-4 win in the nightcap.
Stenson was 3-for-4 in the opener, as the Owls took a 4-0 lead after two innings. Allen smashed a 2-run homer in the first, with Leah Huffman singling home a second inning run, followed by a Nita Cook safety squeeze.
OUAZ (0-2) scored three in the third to pull within a run, but the Owls took advantage of a bases loaded throwing error in the sixth to score two runs, part of a 4-run inning, to put the game away.
Jenna Gorden allowed six hits and three runs in four innings for the win, with Alli Parker tossing three one-hit innings for the save. Huffman, Allen, Addison Kachnik and Hayden Rockwell each had two-hit games.
Tech was in trouble in Game 2, as Alexis Rodriguez lined a 3-run double in the second to give the Spirit a 4-0 lead.
Kachnik cut into the lead with a fourth inning RBI single, before the Owls batted around for seven runs in the sixth. Milbourne made it 4-3 with a 2-run homer, with Huffman tying the score with an RBI single. Nita Cook gave OIT their first lead with a 2-run double, Malia Mick singled in a run and Allen capped the rally with an RBI double.
It was more than enough for Schmidt, who entered the game in the second and stymied the OUAZ attack, allowing just two hits and striking out eight in five-plus shutout innings.
Five players – Milbourne, Kachnik, Cook, Stenson and Huffman all had two hits for the Owls.
OIT continues their Arizona adventure tomorrow, meeting Benedictine Mesa in a doubleheader.