PENDLETON, Ore. – Eastern Oregon was unable to come away with a victory in Monday’s doubleheader, despite a 16-run offensive performance in the first game.
GAME 1
The opening matchup of Monday’s doubleheader showcased a flurry of scoring from both sides, resulting in a 16-14 victory for Oregon Tech.
Eastern Oregon grabbed an early lead in the 2nd inning, with Trevor Baker scoring the game’s first run. This was followed by a single from Parker Cumberland, bringing in two runs for the Mounties to build a 3-0 advantage.
Oregon Tech quickly countered in the bottom half of the inning, taking advantage of defensive miscues to score four unearned runs. Kyle Norton’s aggressive baserunning led to Oregon Tech’s first run, followed by a clutch double from Matthew Ortiz, bringing in three more runs and giving Oregon Tech a 4-3 lead.
Eastern Oregon’s offense exploded in the following innings, powered by the long ball. Mario Landeros and Chase Nett each launched homers, contributing to a six-run outburst in the 4th inning alone. Baker also joined the home run parade with a solo shot, helping Eastern Oregon surge ahead to a commanding 14-4 lead by the end of the 5th inning.
In the 6th inning, Tyler Horner’s home run sparked a rally, trimming Eastern Oregon’s lead to 14-5. Oregon Tech continued their comeback bid in the 7th inning, with Patrick Barry, Korrey Siracusa, and Julien Jones all delivering key hits to cut the deficit to just two runs.
Eastern Oregon managed to add two insurance runs in the 9th inning, courtesy of Landeros and Baker, extending their lead to 16-12. However, Oregon Tech mounted one final surge in the bottom half of the inning, fueled by RBIs from Jones and Barry to take the 17-16 victory.
Landeros led the Mountie offensive output with five RBIs, joined by Nett and Burns with three hits each. The Mounties finished the contest with 15 total hits. Both Ortiz and Jones finished the game with 4 RBIs for the Owls.
Six different Mounties took the mound, combining for nine strikeouts and ten earned runs.
GAME 2
Oregon Tech rode their momentum into the second game, scoring seven runs in the second inning. D
ane Bradshaw, Barry, Siracusa, and Ortiz all registered RBIs in the second inning, with Jones and Landon Cheney stealing home. Ty Blakely would hit a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Norton to score, followed by a Bradshaw run off a wild pitch to make the scoreboard read 9-0 after three innings of play.
Horner built upon an impressive afternoon with his second home run to extend the Owls’ lead to ten runs in the 4th inning.
The Mounties found some life in the fifth inning when Joey Freitas punched a double to right center, allowing Nett and Youhyeon Choi to score. Ortiz of Oregon Tech would make it back-to-back games with three RBIs, flying out to center field and bringing home Blakely in the process.
Despite trailing 11-2, Eastern Oregon would not be done fighting yet, as Choi stepped up to the plate and powered a single to right field that would allow Rogelio Gonzales and Brandon Taddy to cross home plate. After seven innings, the final score would read 11-4 in favor of the Owls.
Freitas led the way for the Mounties at the plate, notching 2 RBIs. Nett and Baker each added two hits for Eastern Oregon. Nine different Owls recorded a hit during the contest, with Ortiz once again leading the team with 3 RBIs.
Cody Dubray tossed seven strikeouts for Oregon Tech in the victory, while Tucker Zander was credited with the Mounties’ loss.
The Mountaineers will return to action next weekend when they take on the Whitworth Pirates in Spokane, Washington.
