KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – For the second-straight year, Oregon Tech and College of Idaho needed extra innings to decide the Cascade Conference Softball Tournament championship game, presented by U.S. Bank, and for the second-straight year, the Lady Owls scored the lone run of the game off a Coyote error in the eighth inning, claiming a 1-0 victory at Stilwell Stadium.
 
The No. 4-ranked Lady Owls (46-10) extended their win streak to eight games heading into the NAIA National Championship Opening Round, to be held in the Klamath Basin next Monday through Wednesday. The 4-team bracket will be revealed by the NAIA on Tuesday afternoon.
 
A rare May snowstorm halted play four times during the day – pushing the championship game back 90 minutes after the 20th-ranked Coyotes (41-15) eliminated Eastern Oregon in the opening game.
 
"That was a great weekend, despite having to battle through some tough weather," said OIT head coach Greg Stewart. "I am so proud of this team."
 
OIT's Sarah Abramson and C of I's Katie Wilfert dominated in the circle for seven innings – Abramson limiting the Yotes to just four hits, while Wilfert allowed two hits and one runner to reach third base.
 
C of I had chances to break through – loading the bases with no outs in the fourth, while having runners at second and third in both the fifth and sixth innings – but the CCC's Pitcher of the Year worked out of each of the jams, ending each inning with a strikeout.
 
Tech took advantage of their best opportunity to win the game in the eighth. Zoe Allen opening the inning with a seeing-eye single through the right side and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After McKenna Armantrout was intentionally walked, Maggie Buckholz hit a sharp ground ball to second – with Armantrout forced out on the play, but Buckholz beat the return throw to first to keep the inning alive. After Buckholz stole second, C of I intentionally walked Kennedy Jantzi to load the bases.
 
In last season's title game, a C of I error plated the winner and today's game followed the script. Jayce Seavert grounded a 2-strike pitch to the left side that was bobbled by Coyote shortstop Haley Loffer, with Allen scoring the winning run after the hurried throw to third, trying to force Buckholz, was late.
 
Abramson picked up her 26th win of the season and her 12th shutout of 2022 – the Owls ninth-straight win against their Idaho rivals. The senior struck out eight batters – including fanning Hattie Hruza and Kaylee MacDannald in the fourth with the bases loaded to work out of trouble.
 
Wilfert allowed three singles in the loss – retiring 14 of the last 15 batters she faced prior to the eighth inning.
 
Allen was 2-for-3 in the win for the Lady Owls, as OIT claimed their fifth CCC Tournament title – joining the teams from 2006, 2011, 2012 and 2021.
 
"I am so thankful for the wonderful support we get from the athletic department, this university and especially the Klamath Falls community."
 
C of I reached the title game with their win over EOU – weathering three weather delays that lasted a combined 70 minutes. Loffer was 3-for-4 in the win, including a 2-run single in a 5-run fourth inning rally that gave the Yotes the victory – securing the CCC's second automatic bid to the NAIA Championships.