via Oregon Tech Athletic Communications
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – For the second-straight year, Oregon Tech will have to take the long route to a NAIA Softball World Series berth, as Midland University stunned the Lady Owls with a 4-run seventh inning to claim a 12-10 victory in the NAIA Opening Round match-up at Stilwell Stadium.
The No. 3-seeded Warriors (39-15), the lone unbeaten team remaining in the Klamath Falls Bracket, will face the winner of Wednesday’s early match-up between OIT and Southeastern at 4 p.m. – with MU needing just one win to earn trip to Columbus, Ga.
The Lady Owls (43-10) rallied from 6-0 and 8-3 deficits to take a fifth inning lead, but were unable to hold the one-run lead in the seventh.
Kayla Barrientos golfed a 2-run homer to left in the first, Jenna Lemley hit a 2-run shot to center and Isabelle Pagan singled home a pair in a 4-run second, staking the Nebraska school to a 6-0 lead.
Tech never wavered, taking advantage of a 2-out error in the bottom of the second to prolong the frame, with Malia Mick lining a ball just past a diving Aja Henderson down the left field line, with Mick circling the bases for a 3-run inside-the-park homer to cut the deficit in half.
MU regained an 8-3 lead in the fourth on a Lemley RBI double and a Reese Floro sacrifice fly, but Addison Kachnik struck in the bottom of the inning lining a 2-run homer to left to pull OIT within 8-5.
Kachnik continued a big day an inning later, lining a 2-out RBI single to cut the margin to 8-6, followed by a game-tying 2-run double from Gina Allen off the wall in center. One pitch later, Mick reached on a bobble by the MU defense and got in a rundown long enough for Allen to score the go-ahead run.
The Warriors had a final blow, loading the bases in the seventh with no outs, plating the tying run on a double play ball. With runners at the corners and two outs, Henderson hit a 2-strike pitch over the wall in center, giving Midland a 12-9 lead.
Tech made it interesting in the seventh, as a Kachnik RBI single cut the gap to 12-10 – with the Owls loading the bases with one out. However, Campbell Petrick coaxed a strikeout and line-out to close out the victory.
Kachnik was 4-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBI, with Allen and Sawyer Stenson each recording two hits for Tech. Jenna Gorden was the tough-luck loser, allowing two runs in four strong innings of relief.
Pagan was 3-for-4 with two RBI and Lemley had two hits and three RBI for Midland.
OIT will face Southeastern tomorrow at 1 p.m. in an elimination game, after the Fire (42-10) won back-to-back loser-out games on the day. The winner of that game will have to top Midland twice to win the Bracket title.
SEU scored 15 unanswered runs in a 15-3 victory over Arizona Christian – including a 10-run third inning rally – as catcher Nicole Wasserstrom had an RBI single and RBI double in the outburst. The Florida school kept their title hopes alive with an 8-3 win over Jamestown in the final game of the day – as Haley Brooks hit a game-tying homer in the third and Ella Brooks gave the Fire the lead for good with a fourth inning 2-run double.
MONDAY
GAME 1: Jamestown 10, Arizona Christian 6
GAME 2: Midland 6, Southeastern 3
GAME 3: Oregon Tech 4, Jamestown 2
TUESDAY
GAME 4: Southeastern 15, Arizona Christian 3 (loser out)
GAME 5: Midland 12, Oregon Tech 10
GAME 6: Southeastern 8, Jamestown 3 (loser out)
WEDNESDAY
GAME 7: Southeastern vs. Oregon Tech, 1 p.m. (loser out)
GAME 8: Winner Game 7 vs. Midland, 4 p.m. (championship)
THURSDAY
GAME 9: Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 8, 1 p.m. (if necessary championship)