LACEY, Wash. – Three Oregon Tech relievers combined for six shutout innings in today's opener, as the Hustlin' Owls claimed a series win at Saint Martin's with a 3-2 victory.
 
The Division II Saints (1-7) averted the sweep with a 7-2 win in the series finale.
 
The trio of Ryan Poling, Braeden Bellum and Riley Cronin held the hosts to three hits in Game 1, with the offense scratching across just enough runs for a victory.
 
SMU scored single runs in the first and third to grab an early 2-0 advantage, but the Owls (6-5) capitalized on two fifth inning errors to take the lead. Adam Jacques reached second on a one-out error and scored on OIT's first hit of the day, a single from Cronin. Following a Matthew Lehrbach single, Cronin scored on a Korrey Siracusa grounder that was booted by the SMU defense. A Tyler Horner RBI fielder's choice gave Tech the lead.
 
The bullpen did the rest – as Poling tossed 3.1 innings of 2-hit relief, striking out two, with Bellum allowing one hit and striking out a pair in his season debut. Cronin slammed the door, retiring 3-of-4 batters in the ninth to log his team-leading fourth save.
 
Game 2 was controlled by the Saints – as Griffin Williams cleared the bases in the first with a double – as the hosts took a 7-0 lead into the final frame. OIT was down to their final out, but Matthew Ortiz lined a 2-run double to avoid a shutout.
 
Ortiz was 2-for-4 in the loss – the only multi-hit effort of the day by the Owls. Freshman Dylan Huddle tossed two shutout innings in relief.
 
OIT continues their 20-game season-opening road trip next weekend with non-conference games at Corban University.