SURPRISE, Ariz. – JoJo Roman lined a ninth inning tie breaking pinch-hit RBI single, helping Oregon Tech open the 2026 baseball season with a 5-4 victory over Ottawa University of Arizona at Surprise Stadium.
 
OUAZ (8-4) took advantage of nine walks and two errors to win the nightcap, 6-2.
 
The Hustlin' Owls (1-1) got outstanding relief pitching from Caleb Randolph and Marcos Ulloa-Ford to keep the score squared at 4-4 before the heroics from Roman. Logan Pontecorvo capped a 4-for-4 game with a leadoff double, with Roman driving home pinch-runner Paul Zaragoza with the go-ahead run.
 
After spotting OUAZ a 1-0 lead, Tech got RBI singles from Jacob Cook, Nick Gimino, Logan Macy and Dylan Edwards in a 4-run second to take the lead. The Spirit countered in the third with three 2-out runs, capped by a Mason Whitehead 2-run single to tie the game.
 
Randolph took over, tossing four shutout innings, allowing just three hits and fanning four, before Ulloa-Ford got the final seven outs, striking out four, to earn his first collegiate win.
 
Game 2 started with a bang, as Macy lined a leadoff home run down the left field line – but the Spirit tied the game without a hit in the bottom of the inning and added three second inning runs to take the lead for good.
 
Gimino was 3-for-3 and Cal Pichardt was 3-for-4 in the loss, with both Macy and Michael O'Daniel each had two hits.
 
Saturday, Tech plays a split doubleheader, meeting OUAZ at Noon, followed by a night game against Nelson.