KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. –
Tyler Horner became the first Cascade Conference player to reach 40 career home runs, hitting a homer in both ends of today's doubleheader, as Oregon Tech completed a series sweep of Eastern Oregon with 14-2 and 9-2 wins at Steen Sports Park.
The Hustlin' Owls (25-11, 16-9 CCC) got outstanding starting pitching from
Isaac Hill and
Carson Glavich, helping the club improve to 7-1 at home this season and running their win streak to five games.
Horner hit a 2-run homer to start a 7-run sixth inning in the opener, adding a leadoff solo homer in the third inning of Game 2, pushing his career total to 40 – surpassing the CCC's all-time record of 39, established by College of Idaho's Greg Schelhaas in 2000 (LC State's Charlie Updegrave joined Horner in the 40-homer club later in the afternoon).
Hill set the tone in Game 1, holding the EOU (9-27, 5-20) offense to three hits in six shutout innings – earning his fourth win of the year.
The Tech offense gave the right-hander all the run support he needed – plating four unearned runs in the third, thanks to a pair of fielding errors by the Mounties.
Keanu Mizuta lined an RBI double,
Korrey Siracusa doubled home a pair and
Patrick Barry lifted a sacrifice fly.
The Owls pushed the lead to 7-0 in the fifth, with
Logan Macy providing the big hit, a 2-run triple. An inning later, OIT batted around for seven runs – starting with the Horner home run.
Matthew Ortiz doubled in a run,
Chase Hedani and
Dane Bradshaw had RBI singles and
Garrett Smith lined a pinch-hit 2-run double.
EOU broke up the shutout bid in the seventh on a Benat VanHoose 2-run double, but the game ended due to the 10-run rule.
Julien Jones was 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and Bradshaw added two hits in the victory.
Game 2 was broke wide open in the third – starting with Horner's second homer of the day. Ortiz blooped an RBI single, Siracusa laced a 2-run single and Horner capped the 7-run inning with an RBI double.
Tech made it 8-0 in the sixth on an EOU error and Horner closed out the offensive attack with a seventh inning RBI double.
Glavich worked around eight hits in his six shutout innings to log his fourth win – striking out four. Horner was 3-for-4 with three RBI in the win and Jones added three stolen bases.
Eastern had 13 hits in the loss, with Mario Landeros and Mason Van Ardsdall each recording three hits – adding RBI singles in the ninth to break up the shutout.
OIT continues their homestand next weekend, hosting Warner Pacific.
