KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Facing frigid conditions at Stilwell Stadium, Oregon Tech used go-ahead home runs from Puakea Milbourne and Nita Cook to remain alive in the Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, topping College of Idaho and British Columbia in elimination games.
The No. 5-ranked Lady Owls (43-8) topped C of I, 3-0, in the completion of Saturday’s suspended game, while rallying for a 9-5 victory over UBC in today’s finale.
Tech will earn a rematch with No. 17-ranked Southern Oregon tomorrow at 11 a.m. with a spot in the title game on the line. No. 10-ranked Eastern Oregon awaits the OIT-SOU winner at 1:30 p.m., needing a win for their first league crown since 2016.
Playing in a driving snowstorm, OIT scored the lone runs against the Yotes (32-17) in the third. Zoe Allen lined a one-out single and advanced to second on an error on a Kaila Mick grounder. Milbourne followed, blasting a mammoth 3-run homer to left – energizing the frozen fan base.
It was all Kacie Schmidt needed, as the Owls ace held C of I to three hits – retiring 12 of the final 13 batters, to earn her eighth shutout of the season – striking out five.
Five hours later, Tech found themselves trailing the T-Birds (27-21), 2-0, in the third – following a 2-out, 2-run Shae Sever double. The Owls answered with an offensive onslaught, as Mick blooped an RBI double in the bottom of the inning to plate Cook and scored on an error following a Milbourne single.
An inning later, Cook gave the hosts the lead for good, ripping her sixth homer of the season, a 2-run shot to left. Allen would double and Mick drove her home with a triple into the left-center gap – with the CCC Player of the Year scoring on a UBC wild pitch.
Tech put the game away with a 3-run fifth – keyed by a Mick RBI double and RBI singles from Milbourne and Jayce Seavert.
UBC would make it interesting in the seventh, getting a Kaitlyn Kim RBI double and a Jessica Heutink RBI single – but Cook made a diving stab of a Kennedy Ainge liner and doubled off Heutink at first to end the game.
Mckenzie Staub held UBC to two hits in four-plus innings for her 18th win, with Alli Parker recording the final eight outs for her school-record tying fifth save. Mick finished 3-for-3 with three RBI, with Cook, Allen, Milbourne and Seavert all recording 2-hit games.
Kim finished 2-for-3 in the loss for the T-Birds.
Earlier in the day, UBC eliminated Carroll College, 12-1 – as Kim was 4-for-5 with three RBI – with the T-Birds breaking open a tight game with an 8-run seventh.
EOU moved into the title game with a 2-1 win over SOU, as Kylie Parsons struck out five in a complete game effort. A 2-run second provided the winning margin, with the Mounties getting a key outfield assist from Katelynn Evans in the seventh, followed by a diving catch from Kelly Monaghan in the inning to complete the win.
GAME 1 – Southern Oregon 7, UBC 1
GAME 2 – Carroll 3, College of Idaho 1
GAME 3 – Southern Oregon 5, OIT 3
GAME 4 – Eastern Oregon 2, Carroll 1
GAME 5 – OIT 3, College of Idaho 0 (loser out)
GAME 6 – UBC 12, Carroll 1 (loser out)
GAME 7 – Eastern Oregon 2, Southern Oregon 1
GAME 8 – OIT 9, UBC 5 (loser out)
GAME 9 (11 a.m. / Monday) – OIT vs. Southern Oregon
GAME 10 ( 1:30 p.m. / Monday) – Eastern Oregon vs. Winner 9
GAME 11 (if necessary – 30 minutes after GAME 10)
