KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Following a tough midday match-up with Lewis-Clark State, Oregon Tech ended a 13-year playoff victory drought in a big way, topping College of Idaho, 9-0, in the final game of Day 1 of the Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, at Kiger Stadium.
Four hours after a tough 14-2 loss to LCSC sent the Hustlin' Owls (32-18) into an elimination game, Tech responded with a 14-hit attack, with
Patrick Arman tossing eight shutout innings – picking up OIT's first postseason win since a 6-1 victory over C of I at the 2010 NAIA West Championships.
Tech will earn a rematch with LCSC on Monday at 12:30 p.m. at Kiger Stadium – with a date against British Columbia in the title game on the line.
The Owls strung together four hits in the opening inning against the Yotes (31-18), with
Julien Jones and
Ka'ala Tam ripping run-scoring singles. C of I limited the damage by turning double plays to end the first, second and third innings.
Tech broke the game open in the sixth, as
Alonzo Vergara smashed a 3-run homer to left and
Korrey Siracusa tripled home a pair, as the Owls extended the margin to 8-0. C of I had a chance in the bottom of the frame to rally – loading the bases with no outs – but Arman got a strikeout, a rare fielders' choice from Jones in right to Horner the catcher to force a run at the plate and a ground out to keep the shutout intact.
Jones capped the scoring in the seventh with a long solo home run to left.
Siracusa was 3-for-4 and
Tyler Horner was 3-for-5 in the win, as both Jones and
Bryce Petrilla added two hits.
Arman allowed eight hits and struck out six for his eighth win, with
Brodie Marino making his pitching debut – tossing a scoreless ninth.
Game 1 was all LCSC (30-15), as the Warriors broke a 1-1 tie with a 5-run fourth and added a pair of 4-run innings in the eight-inning contest.
OIT took a 1-0 lead in the second, as
Adam Jacques plated a run with an RBI groundout, but a Nick Seamons sacrifice fly in the third tied the score. LC broke the game open in the fourth, as Seamons delivered a key 2-out, 2-run single.
Both Seamons and Pu'akani De Sa hit 3-run homers and Sam Olsson hit a solo dinger, part of a Warrior 16-hit attack.
Starter Trevin Hope fanned 11 in five innings to earn the win, with Jantzen Lucas earning a three inning save. De Sa was 4-for-5 with four RBI and Seamons was 3-for-5 with six RBI in the win for LC.
Jones had two of OIT's four hits in the loss, including a solo home run.
