KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.— Oregon Tech (14-20, 9-11 CCC) were swept in the weekend series by No.7 Lewis-Clark State (26-2, 19-1 CCC). Tech did well on the offensive end, but it wasn't enough to hang with the Warriors who scored 60 runs across the 4 games played this weekend. A bright spot this weekend for the Hustlin' Owls was Micah Jio who went a combined 9-13 from the plate.
 
"We battled today and showed some guts," said head coach Jacob Garsez. "Tough way to end, but we keep making progress and I like where we are headed."
 
Game Three: Lewis-Clark State 17 Oregon Tech 9
 
After dropping two games yesterday, the Owls got off to a very fast start.
 
Dalton Daily sent his 10th HR over the right-field wall in the 1st inning, plating himself and Micah Jio for a 2-0 Tech lead.
 
After Tech starter Trask Telesmanich sat down the first 6 LC hitters in order, Tech kept the bats on fire in the 2nd.
 
Kaleb Keelean hit an RBI single, followed by a Jio RBI double, to put Tech up 4-0. Daily then came through for Tech once more hitting a 2RBI single, and just like that Tech led 6-0.
 
Over the next 2 frames, Tech's offense would cool down, but Telemanich would stay in the same groove, only allowing 1 run in the 4th.
 
However, the groove would be lost in the 5th. LC plated 5 runs all with 2 outs in the frame, and very quickly the large Tech lead had evaporated.
 
Telesmanich would exit the game, still with 2 outs in the 5th, handing the ball off to Brendan Talonen.
 
Talonen would inherit a bases-loaded situation, but an error by Jio on a groundball allowed LC to plate 2 more.
 
Talonen would exit in the 7th, with Tech trailing 12-7. Talonen would hand the ball off to Cole Little making his 3rd appearance of the year.
 
Little was unable to slow the Warrior offense down, as LC went on to win the game 17-9.
 
OIT was led at the plate by Micah Jio who went 3-3.
 
Game Four: Lewis-Clark State 12 Oregon Tech 11
 
As we've seen many times this season, the Hustlin' Owls grabbed an early lead in the 1st inning.
 
Tech grabbed 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st, highlighted by Mitchel Swanson's 2 run HR, his 7th of the year.
 
In the 2nd, LC would grab one back off of a Dylan Grogan balk.
 
In the 3rd, LC would tie the game, after a pair of unearned runs crossed the plate for the Warriors.
 
A storyline in Game 4 certainly resided with Grogan, whose older brother recently won 2 national championships at Lewis-Clark State.
 
In the bottom of the 3rd, Tech grabbed 3 runs, but LC quickly countered with a 2-run HR from Sam Linscott.
 
After a solid outing from Dylan Grogan, he'd hand a 6-5 lead over to Spencer Dahlke in the top of the 5th inning.
 
LC would grab an RBI single to tie the game in the 6th which would end the day for Dahlke.
 
Coming in to relieve him was Cody Dubray who inherited 2 on with none down in the 6th.
 
Dubray would face Riley Way in his first batter, and Way would slap a 2 run triple to right, then score on a wild pitch to put the Warriors ahead 9-6.
 
Throughout the rest of the game, the Owls would chip away, and eventually, in the bottom of the 8th, they'd pull level. A Michael Tarakhchyan RBI single scored Kellen Mendez who had an RBI double the at-bat before.
 
In the top of the 9th, LC went back ahead, 12-11. An error from Micah Jio kept the Owls from getting out of the inning as his 2 out throw carried Kellen Mendez off of 1st base allowing the game-winning run to score.
 
In the bottom of the 9th, Tech got runners on 1st and 2nd, no outs for the heart of the order.
 
Unfortunately, LC closer Cameron Smith slammed the door, striking out Daily and Swanson, then Mendez in succession. 
 
OIT will return to play in two weekends when they travel to Caldwell to face off against The College of Idaho (15-20, 7-13 CCC)
 
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