WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Oregon Tech got a pair of quality starts and a pair of big late-inning rallies helped the Hustlin’ Owls open Cascade Conference play with 9-5 and 8-2 victories over Eastern Oregon at the Muir Sports Complex.
After a week that saw the host site moved multiple times due to scheduling conflicts, OIT (15-9, 2-0 CCC) rallied from an early deficit in Game 1 while controlling the nightcap from the start.
“Good start to conference play,” said the OIT head coach Jacob Garsez. “Our offense struggled today, but I’d like to see us string together more quality bats in the middle innings. Our defense played really well and we competed well on the mound.”
Patrick Armand earned the win in Game 1, pitching six strong innings, allowing three runs on six hits, striking out five.
The Mountaineers (1-16, 0-2) took a 3-0 lead in the second, including a big double by Danny Burns. Tech tied it on its next at-bat, an ace Ian Peters took home a pair and Julien Jones he added an RBI single, and the visitors took the lead for good in the fifth – ace Griffin Thissell scored from third on a throwing error.
OIT extended its lead to 5-3 in the sixth inning Alonzo Vergara He had an RBI double to break it up with a 4-run ninth with a key 2-run inning Ka’ala Tam single.
Jones finished 2-for-2 with two stolen bases – tying a school record by being hit by a pitch three times. Both Bryce Petrilla and Tyler Horner added two hits in the win.
Tech wasn’t far behind in Game 2, scoring twice against EOU starter Shane Sinclair in the first inning – as Matthew Ortiz raised a sacrifice bunt, and Vergara lined an RBI single. The lead was 3-1 in the eighth, before OIT tacked on four insurance runs — including RBI singles from Tam and Horner — with Sean Tobin adding an RBI single in the ninth inning.
lalo barraza continued his stellar season, earning his fifth league win – pitching five shutout innings. Korrey Syracuse was 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, with Vergara and Brodie Marino each adds two hits.
Sinclair took the loss for the Mounties – despite allowing just one earned run in seven innings.
The two teams close out the weekend series tomorrow with a doubleheader at 12 p.m.
