Photo by Liza Safford. Story by Mike Safford.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Western Oregon used big innings in both games to salvage a series split with Oregon Tech, earning 14-2 and 11-9 victories at Steen Sports Park.
The Wolves (5-7) combined for 30 hits in the two games and withstood a late-inning rally from the Hustlin’ Owls in the series finale.
WOU dominated Game 1 – jumping out to an 8-0 lead for the second straight day. John Oleson lined a 2-run single and Curren Mitzel tripled home a pair in a 5-run third, with Mitzel launching a 3-run opposite field homer in the fourth to extend the lead.
OIT (7-9) broke through in the fourth, scoring a run on a Wolves error and another on a Keanu Mizuta doubled off the top of the right field wall – but WOU starter Arturo Alvarez did not allow another run on the day.
The visitors capped the scoring with a 2-run fifth and 4-run sixth.
Julien Jones was 2-for-3 with a run scored in the loss for Tech, with Mitzel going 4-for-5 with two triples, the homer and six RBI.
In Game 2, the Owls took their only lead of the day in the second as a Kyle Norton RBI single gave Tech a 2-1 second inning lead. WOU answered with a 5-run third, as Spencer Six lined a 2-run single, part of a 3-for-4 day.
Tech cut the margin to 6-4 in the third on a Matthew Lehrbach 2-run double and pulled within 11-8 in the seventh on a Lehrbach 2-run single.
Unfortunately, Western got two key insurance runs in the ninth to extend the margin – as following a Jones solo homer, Wolves closer Devin Ball struck out the side to end the game.
Lehrbach was 3-for-4, with Norton, Jones and Matthew Ortiz all logging two hits. OIT starter Cody Dubray took the loss, but struck out a season-high nine batters in four innings.
OIT continues their 8-game homestand next weekend, hosting Eastern Oregon for a 4-game series.
