Oregon Institute of Technology Athletics

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Matthew Ortiz combined for a 5-for-8 day and Riley Cronin tossed four innings of one-run relief in Game 2, as Oregon Tech split a Saturday doubleheader with Bushnell University at Drifters Stadium.
 
The Hustlin' Owls (27-15, 14-6 CCC) dropped the opener, 11-0, before rallying for a 10-4 victory in Game 2 – inching closer to clinching a postseason berth and keeping their conference title hopes alive.
 
"This weekend had its highs and lows," said OIT head coach Jacob Garsez. "We certainly need to do better collectively at improving certain parts of the game, but at the same time, we had our competitive moments."
 
OIT opened the scoring in Game 2, breaking a scoreless tie in the fifth – as Ortiz doubled home a run and Ka'ala Tam followed with an RBI single.  The Beacons (21-18, 9-7) used the long ball to take the lead in the bottom of the frame, as Jacob Richardson smashed a 2-run shot and Kyle Casperson lined a solo homer.
 
The momentum was short-lived – as a Brodie Marino sixth inning RBI single tied the game, with the Owls adding a 3-run seventh and 3-run eighth to put the game away. A wild pitch in the seventh plated the go-ahead run, with Alonzo Vergara adding a 2-run double, while an inning later, Adam Jacques doubled in a run, with two more runs plated on a BU error.
 
Cronin kept the Beacons at bay – allowing five hits and one run in four innings to pick up his third win. Ortiz was 3-for-4, with Julien Jones and Ian Peters each going 2-for-4.
 
Game 1 was all Bushnell – as the hosts scored six second inning unearned runs following a 2-out error – with an Ethan Stacy 3-run homer the big blow.  BU added a 5-run fifth, capped by a Liam Kerr 2-run homer, to extend the lead to 11-0.
 
Trevor Hammond and Colby Knutzen combined on the 5-hit shutout.
 
Ortiz had the lone multi-hit game for OIT, going 2-for-4.
 
The Owls close out the conference season next weekend, hosting British Columbia in a Saturday-Sunday, 4-game series at Steen Sports Park.
 
"We have not peaked yet as a team," Garsez said. "I would like to see us inch forward this week in practice."