LEWISTON, Idaho – A day that started with their first-ever NAIA Tournament win ended in heartbreak for Oregon Tech, as the Hustlin' Owls split a pair of games on Day 1 of the Opening Round Lewiston Bracket, presented by Avista, at Harris Field.
 
OIT (39-15) rode a dominant start from Tim Williams in their opener, topping Dickinson State, 4-2, before dropping a nail-biting, 3-2 decision to top-seed and defending NAIA champion, Hope International.
 
The Hustlin' Owls will meet the winner of tomorrow's Dickinson State-Wayland Baptist match-up at 6 p.m. in an elimination game, as Tech must win four-straight games to advance to the NAIA World Series.
 
Williams was the story in the Owls first-ever NAIA playoff game, limiting the Blue Hawks (21-29) to three hits in eight strong innings – with his only mistake a third inning 2-run homer by DSU catcher Cameron Erickson.
 
The Owls took a 2-0 lead in the second on a 2-out, 2-run double from Korrey Siracusa, with Garrett Smith breaking a 2-2 tie in the fourth with a solo homer.
 
Keanu Mizuta provided an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI single, with Kaden Melzer getting the final three outs for his fourth save.
 
Both Siracusa and Dane Bradshaw had two hits for Tech off DSU starter Jacob Scully, who went the distance, allowing eight hits and striking out four.
 
In the late game, the Owls ran into hard-throwing right-hander Trey Seeley, who limited the OIT attack to four hits, striking out 15, in a 125-pitch complete game.
 
The Royals (44-8) got a leadoff double in the first from Amari Bartee, with the outfielder scoring on a fielders' choice for a 1-0 lead. Tech tied the score in the third, as Ty Blakely singled, with courtesy runner Michael O'Daniel scoring on a Patrick Barry ground out.
 
HIU regained the lead in the fourth on a Colby Moran RBI single, but Julien Jones made it 2-2 in the sixth with a long solo homer, his 15th of the year. The California squad capitalized on an error in the seventh, with a Kyle Harvey RBI double plating the go-ahead run.
 
Bronson Chapple took the loss for the Owls, holding one of the top offenses in the NAIA to three runs in six-plus innings, striking out five. Jones was 2-for-3 in the loss, while Bartee was 3-for-4 for HIU.
 
Game 1 – Oregon Tech 4, Dickinson State 2
Game 2 – Lewis-Clark State 9, Wayland Baptist 1
Game 3 – Hope International 3, Oregon Tech 2
 
Game 4 – Dickinson State vs. Wayland Baptist, 11 a.m. (loser out)
Game 5 – Lewis-Clark State vs. Hope International, 2:30 p.m.
Game 6 – Oregon Tech vs. Winner Game 4, 6 p.m. (loser out)