GLENDALE, Ariz. – The pitching tandem of Kacie Schmidt and Mckenzie Staub were unfazed by rainy conditions in the desert, as No. 1-ranked Oregon Tech began a 6-game road trip with a doubleheader sweep of Ottawa (Ariz.) at the ACU Softball Field.
 
The duo limited the Spirit (4-4) to seven hits on the day, picking up 8-0 and 2-0 victories – as OUAZ had just one runner reach third base on the afternoon.
 
"Two great pitching performances by Kacie and Mckenzie and a pair of great called games by Jayce Seavert and Marla Goodspeed," said OIT head coach Greg Stewart. "We played really good defense and got some clutch hits in both games against a good OUAZ team. I am proud of the ladies with how they got mentally prepared to play through some rainy weather and a 2-hour delay."
 
A morning storm force a delay to the start of Game 1, but the Lady Owls (4-0) picked up right where they left off Sunday against Pacific – pounding out 14 hits in the opening win. Staub started the scoring with a second inning RBI double, while in the fourth, Seavert lined an RBI double, followed by back-to-back run-scoring triples from Addison Kachnik and Malia Mick.
 
Lexi Klum extended the margin to 5-0 with a fifth inning RBI double, with the Owls invoking the mercy rule with a 3-run sixth, keyed by consecutive RBI doubles by Kaila Mick and Klum.
 
Schmidt was dominant, holding OUAZ to three hits and striking out four. Klum, Nita Cook, Puakea Milbourne and Malia Mick all had 2-hit games for the Owls, with Mia Casadei finishing with two of the three Spirit hits.
 
Staub handcuffed the OUAZ bats in Game 2, with the only scoring threat for the hosts in the second – but the righty worked out of a second-and-third, one out jam, coaxing two pop ups. The senior allowed just four hits, no walks and struck out two.
 
OIT gave Staub a 1-0 lead in the first, as Zoe Allen singled and scored on a Milbourne sacrifice fly. Two innings later, Allen reached on an error and scampered home on an RBI triple from Kaila Mick.
 
Kaila Mick had the lone multi-hit game for the Owls, going 2-for-3, with Emily Henard going 2-for-3 for OUAZ.
 
Tech has a short turnaround, meeting No. 19-ranked Hope International tomorrow morning, with first pitch set for 10 a.m. (PT)