KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Playing for the final time at Stilwell Stadium in their record-setting Oregon Tech careers, the Lady Owls senior class paved the way for a fifth-straight trip to the NAIA Softball World Series, sweeping a pair of elimination games from Vanguard to claim the Klamath Falls Opening Round Bracket title.
Kaila Mick had four hits, Staub added her first homer of the season and Lexi Klum had an RBI single on the day in their last games in the Basin, as the Owls (47-10) picked up 7-5 and 8-0 victories.
In the winner-take-all final, OIT scored in all four innings – while riding a 2-hit shutout from All-American Kacie Schmidt – sending Tech into a rematch with the University of the Cumberlands next Thursday in Columbus, Ga.
“We’ve had to win games all different ways in the Opening Round, but never have we had to win three elimination games,” said OIT head coach Greg Stewart. “I am super proud of these ladies and would like to say thanks to our three seniors for everything they’ve done to make Oregon Tech softball successful.”
Klum gave the Owls a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI single, before a Mick double in the second extended the margin to 3-0. OIT broke the game wide open in the third, as Jayce Seavert lined an opposite field 2-run single, with Staub providing an exclamation mark with a 2-run blast.
After Schmidt stranded the bases loaded in the fifth, Seavert led off the bottom of the inning with a double, moving to third on an Addison Kachnik singled, with Staub starting the celebration with a deep fly ball to center to score Seavert with the winning run.
Both Seavert and Mick were 2-for-3 in the clinching win, sending Tech to the World Series for the sixth time in the last decade.
In the opener, Seavert broke a 123-game homerless streak in the second, slugging a long solo home run, the 17th of to give the hosts the lead. Later in the inning, Malia Mick lined an RBI double to extend the lead – part of a season-best 4-for-4 effort.
The Lions (42-13) answered in the bottom of the frame, as Bianca Morales led off with a homer and following a 2-out OIT error, Kamryn Walker tied the game with a single and Nona Chaves gave the California school the lead with a 2-run single.
Tech regained the lead in the fourth, as Kaila Mick singled home a run and Nita Cook gapped a 2-run single – but a dropped fly ball in the bottom of the inning allowed the Lions to plate run to tie the score at 5-5.
OIT grabbed the lead for good in the fifth, as with runners at 1st-and-3rd, Marla Goodspeed stole second, with an errant throw allowing Kachnik to score the go-ahead run. Malia Mick followed with an RBI single to make it 7-5.
The Owls had a tournament-best 14-hit attack – with Puakea Milbourne, Seavert and Goodspeed joining the Mick sisters with multi-hit games. Schmidt earned the win in relief, allowing an unearned run in 5-plus innings of work.
