KEIZER, Ore. – Oregon Tech rallied with a 6-run eighth inning in Game 1 to extend a season-high win streak to seven, but Corban used a late-game surge in the nightcap, as the two rivals split a non-league doubleheader at Volcanoes Stadium.
The Owls (14-10) claimed a 10-7 victory in the opener, but the host Warriors scored twice in the seventh and twice in the eighth to steal a 7-6 win to salvage the series finale.
OIT trailed 6-2 after seven innings in Game 1 – stranding 11 runners on base. Momentum changed in the eighth, as the Owls loaded the bases with one out, plating a run on a
Tyler Horner walk.
Julien Jones doubled home a pair to pull Tech within a run and
Alonzo Vergara gave the visitors their first lead with a 2-run triple.
Dane Bradshaw followed with an RBI single to give OIT an 8-6 lead.
A ninth inning squeeze bunt from
Kyle Norton gave an insurance run, with Horner following with his team-leading eighth home run of the season.
Brian McClelland earned the victory, throwing 3 2/3 innings of strong relief, striking out three, with
Tim Williams working a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save. Starter
Isaac Hill struck out a season-high eight in a no-decision.
Matthew Ortiz finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored and
Patrick Barry was 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
The Owls played with the lead in Game 2, as an RBI double from
Ka'ala Tam and a Bradshaw sacrifice fly gave the visitors a 3-1 lead in the second, extending the margin to 6-3 in the seventh on a Horner RBI double and a Vergara run-scoring single.
The Warriors (4-15) rallied late – pulling within 6-5 in the seventh, adding runs in the eighth on a wild pitch and a Ryan Clay sacrifice fly – to steal the victory.
Ortiz, Norton and Vergara each had two hits in the loss for Tech, with
Cody Dubray earning a no-decision despite five strong innings, allowing three runs on six hits, striking out four.
Jones extended his hit streak to a career-high 13 games in the doubleheader, with Norton pushing his hitting streak to seven.
OIT returns home next weekend, opening Cascade Conference play with a 4-game series vs. British Columbia – a rematch of last season's CCC Tournament championship game.
