MISSOULA, Mont. – A record-setting day helped the Oregon Tech softball team run their win streak to 24 games, as the Lady Owls swept a neutral-site doubleheader with the University of Providence at Grizzly Stadium.
The No. 1-ranked Lady Owls (36-5, 24-1 CCC) recorded their most hits in a game since 2002 in a 20-3 victory in the opener, while pounding out 16 hits in a 9-4 win in Game 2.
Tech stole five bases on the day – establishing a new single-season record (92) – while scoring 20-or-more runs for the 12th time in program history. The 21-hit attack in Game 1 was the most by the Lady Owls in the
Greg Stewart era and the highest total since a 21-hit effort at College of Idaho in 2002.
The Owls batted around twice in the opener, as seven players registered multi-hit games, while
Kacie Schmidt struck out five batters to improve to 18-1 on the season.
Maggie Buckholz gave OIT a 1-0 first inning lead with an RBI single, before Tech broke the game open with an 8-run second.
Addison Kachnik started the rally with an RBI double,
Zoe Allen lined a run-scoring single,
Kaila Mick doubled home a pair, Buckholz tripled home a run, with
Lexi Klum,
Puakea Milbourne and
Nita Cook all delivering RBI singles.
The onslaught continued in the third, as Tech plated 10 runs – with the big blows a
Jensen Becker pinch-hit 2-run single and Buckholz blasted a 3-run homer, her seventh of the year. Milbourne capped the scoring in the fourth with a solo home run, her fourth of the season.
Buckholz finished 3-for-4 with six RBI, Milbourne was 3-for-3 with four runs scored, with Allen going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Becker, Mick, Cook and
Jayce Seavert all had 2-hit games.
Game 2 was more of the same, as Tech took a 7-0 lead in the fourth and eased to the victory.
Lexi Klum lined a 2-run double and
Mckenzie Staub followed with a run-scoring double, as OIT scored three in the opening frame. Buckholz singled home a run in the second, Cook knocked in two with a third inning single and Milbourne lined an RBI single in the fourth pace the attack.
Staub went the distance in the circle, working around nine hits for her 17th win, adding a 3-for-4 game at the plate.
Allen was 3-for-5 with a triple, Klum was 3-for-4 with three runs scored, with Mick, Buckholz and Milbourne all adding two hits.
Taylor Mathews was the offensive star for the Argos (5-25, 3-19), going 3-for-4 in the Game 2 loss.
The two teams close out the series tomorrow with a 10 a.m. doubleheader.
