KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Oregon Tech had seen the story before, grab a lead against Eastern Oregon, only to see the Mountaineers use a late-inning rally to earn a victory. Today at the Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, the Lady Owls flipped the script, as
Lexi Klum sent the hosts to tomorrow's title game with a walk-off homer in the eighth, as Tech earned a 6-5 victory at Stilwell Stadium.
Eastern (41-14), who earned a pair of walk-off wins against Tech two weeks ago in La Grande, used a 5-run sixth inning to take a 5-3 lead, but were unable to hold on. The Mounties will meet College of Idaho at 11 a.m. – with the winner earning an NAIA Tournament berth and an opportunity to meet Tech at 1:30 p.m. in the championship game.
"That was a great team performance," said OIT head coach
Greg Stewart. "Fantastic defense and clutch hits were the key – and I am proud of how we pitched against a good hitting team."
The Lady Owls (45-10) took a 3-0 lead after five innings – as
Jayce Seavert ripped an RBI double off the left-field wall to score
Maddie DeVerna in the fourth to stake Tech to the lead – with
Kaila Mick pushing the margin to 3-0 with a long 2-run homer in the fifth.
OIT starter
Sarah Abramson worked out jams in the third, fourth and fifth innings – as the Mountaineers stranded runners at third base in each inning. However, the visitors strung together four-straight hits in the sixth – including 2-run doubles from Grace Gaither and Kayla Berg, to grab a 5-3 lead.
The Tech offense answered in the bottom of the frame – as Klum doubled with two outs and
Aubrie Businger was hit by a pitch. An EOU passed ball loomed large, as
Zoe Allen ripped a Abby Giles pitch into right field for a 2-run single to even the score.
Mckenzie Staub retired EOU in order in the seventh and eighth, setting the stage for Klum, who lined a Giles pitch over the left field wall for the walk-off win – sending the Lady Owls to their second-straight CCC Championship game.
"Jayce and Kaila had big RBI's to give us the lead and the key 2-out hits by Lexi and Zoe helped us tie the game," Stewart said. "That set the stage for Lexi's walk-off. I am proud of the way Kenzie (Staub) came in and shut the door in the last couple innings to help us get the win."
Klum, Mick,
McKenna Armantrout and
Maggie Buckholz each had two hits for OIT, with Staub striking out four batters in three innings of relief to log her 17th win of the season.
Eight different EOU hitters had one hit in the loss.
DAY 2 RECAPS
GAME 5 – COLLEGE OF IDAHO 12, CORBAN 8 (LOSER OUT) – Hattie Hruza went 3-for-4 with three RBI, as the Yotes rallied from a 3-0 first inning, scoring five in the first and six in the second to earn the victory.
GAME 6 – BRITISH COLUMBIA 10, SOUTHERN OREGON 2 (LOSER OUT) – Mia Valcke delivered the go-ahead 2-run double in a 6-run fifth inning for the T-Birds and added a walk-off 2-run homer an inning later, as UBC eliminated the 2-time defending NAIA champions.
GAME 8 – COLLEGE OF IDAHO 9, BRITISH COLUMBIA 1 (LOSER OUT) – Katie Wilfert tossed a 2-hitter, with Haley Loffer going 3-for-3 with three stolen bases and three runs scored, as the Yotes moved on to Sunday's championship round.
DAY 3 SCHEDULE
Game 9: Eastern Oregon vs. College of Idaho, 11 a.m. (loser out)
Game 10: Oregon Tech vs. Winner 9, 1:30 p.m.
Game 11: If Necessary, 30 minutes after Game 10
