LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon closed their regular season home campaign on Sunday, unable to come away with a victory over the Hustlin’ Owls. Oregon Tech secured both games by final scores of 14-9 and 15-5.
Sunday was also Senior Night for Eastern Oregon Baseball, recognizing Youhyeon Choi, Jeter Larson, Joey Freitas, Cooper Roberts, Chase Nett, Nick Salstrom, and Brooks Wann for their significant contributions to the program.
GAME ONE
Oregon Tech kicked off the scoring spree in the second inning when Keanu Mizuta’s double to left field brought Ka’ala Tam across the plate, giving them an early 1-0 lead. Eastern Oregon responded in the bottom of the same inning, as Danny Burns’s single up the middle allowed Brandon Taddy to score, tying the game at 1-1.
However, the Owls surged ahead in the third inning when Kyle Norton’s homer to right field drove in Patrick Barry, pushing Oregon Tech to a 3-1 lead. They continued to pile on the runs with Tam’s double down the left field line, bringing Julien Jones home, and later scoring on a wild pitch. Dane Bradshaw’s homer to center field further extended Oregon Tech’s lead to 8-1.
The Mounties managed to narrow the deficit in the fourth inning, with Burns’s homer to center field bringing in 2 unearned runs. However, Oregon Tech stretched their lead once again in the sixth, highlighted by Tam’s homer to left center that drove in 3 more runs and made the scoreboard read 12-3.
Eastern Oregon showed resilience in the seventh inning, with Mario Landeros’ single up the middle bringing in two runs, followed by aggressive baserunning that led to an unearned run, closing the gap to 12-6. Following a sacrifice fly by the Owls’ Tam in the eighth inning, the Mounties continued to fight back, with Landeros’s homer to right field and subsequent RBI hits by Alex Olague and Rogelio Gonzales in the ninth inning. Despite the late run, Tech held on for the 14-9 victory.
Isaac Hill Earned the victory after allowing just one earned run across six innings pitched.
Top Performers
Oregon Tech:
- Ka’ala Tam: 3 AB, 3 R, 2 H, 5 RBI, 1 BB
- Tyler Horner: 4 AB, 3 R, 3 H
- Dane Bradshaw: 5 AB, 1 H, 3 RBI
Eastern Oregon:
- Mario Landeros: 5 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 3 RBI
- Danny Burns: 4 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 3 RBI
- Tommy Whiles: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H
GAME TWO
Eastern Oregon made their presence felt early on in game two, taking control in the first inning with Landeros’ groundout to shortstop, bringing Joey Freitas home and Parker Cumberland across the plate. They extended their lead in the same inning after Tommy Whiles stole second and enabled Freitas to steal home, putting the Mountaineers ahead 2-0.
Maintaining their offensive momentum, Eastern Oregon’s Chase Nett’s groundout to first base allowed Youhyeon Choi to score, followed by Freitas’s single up the middle, bringing Cumberland home and extending their lead to 4-0.
Oregon Tech quickly retaliated, mounting a comeback in the later innings. In the third inning, they capitalized on a wild pitch, allowing Bradshaw to score, narrowing the gap to 4-1. Their offensive surge continued in the fourth inning, with Bradshaw’s double down the left field line bringing in Jones, followed by Blakely’s double to right field, driving in Bradshaw and Mizuta, tying the game at 4-4.
The Owls seized the lead in the fifth inning as Mizuta’s double to right center brought Tam home, making it 5-4. They further extended their lead in the sixth inning with Tyler Horner’s double down the right field line, bringing in Norton and pushing the score to 6-4.
The Mountaineers fought back in the sixth inning, with Gonzales’ RBI single to right center closing the gap to 6-5. However, Oregon Tech pulled away in the later innings, with Blakely’s single to left field, followed by Barry’s homer to right field, driving in four more runs and extending their lead to 10-5.
Oregon Tech continued their offensive display in the eighth and ninth innings, with contributions from players like Tam, Bradshaw, Norton, Jones, and Mizuta, securing a commanding 15-5 victory over Eastern Oregon in game two of the series.
Cody Dubray was credited with win after throwing nine strikeouts in six innings pitched.
Top Performers
Oregon Tech:
- Tyler Horner: 6 AB, 1 R, 4 H, 1 RBI
- Ka’ala Tam: 5 AB, 3 R, 2 H, 1 RBI, 1 BB
- Patrick Barry: 4 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 3 RBI
Eastern Oregon:
- Parker Cumberland: 5 AB, 2 R, 2 H, 0 RBI
- Joey Freitas: 3 AB, 1 R, 2 H, 1 RBI
- Rogelio Gonzales: 4 AB, 0 R, 1 H, 1 RBI
