MONMOUTH, Ore. – Playing their first home games in the month of February since 2011, the Western Oregon University softball team took full advantage of the home field combining to outscore Eastern Oregon 14-1 in a doubleheader sweep Saturday. The Wolves took game one 9-0 in five innings, then completed the sweep with a 5-1 win in the nightcap.
"It was a couple of good games today by our kids and we're happy about how we played. We were pretty happy with their patience at the plate and offensively I thought we did really well and we were pleased with that," head coach Lonny Sargent said. "In the second game, we were a little slow to start and then we jumped right to it. The lineup gives us speed and the way we line it up at the top with the four lefties which I think will be crucial for our success."
While the offense was certainly there, the pitching of Maddie Mayer and Chandler Bishop kept the Mountaineers (0-2) to just six hits and one run that came in the fifth inning of game two over the 12 innings of play Saturday.
In the opener, Mayer flirted with a no-hitter, as the only hit she allowed came in the fourth inning with two outs. Following her five-inning shutout victory, she also added a strikeout in 60 total pitches to improve to 2-0 on the season.
"It was a lot of fun, I think we all just came in expecting it to be a lot more energetic playing on our home field and I think we had an advantage being able to practice on our turf so we knew what we were doing and had a lot of fun today," Mayer said.
Tyler Creach had a multi-hit game in both contests Saturday, opening up with a 2-2 game with a pair of runs scored and a three-run homer. Bishop added a pair of RBI, while Sydney Bowers, Nicole Miller, Kiley Lynn and Logan Carlos added RBI hits as well.
"It was a great couple of games, we had some great pitching and it was a lot of fun to be out here on the home field. It was just a matter of us sitting on the ball, seeing it all the way in and being able to explode and I think we did that as a team," Creach said.
Right away in the first inning, WOU (4-3) was able to score four runs without the benefit of a hit. Kennedy Coy opened the frame with a walk and after a sacrifice bunt, a pair of walks to Ayanna Arceneauz and Zoie Recolan loaded the bases. Following a fielder's choice RBI for Bishop, another walk to Bowers re-loaded the bases. Miller was hit-by-pitch for the RBI and then walks to Kiley Lynn and Carlos brought in the third and fourth runs of the inning to leave WOU with the 4-0 lead after one. All in total, WOU drew seven walks in the game.
Bishop added her second RBI in the second inning coming through with another two-out hit when she singled on a 1-2 pitch through the left side for the 5-0 lead. Creach then pushed the game out of reach in the third. With Carlos and Coy on base, Creach launched a three-run shot to center to move the lead to 8-0.
It wasn't the only home run of the day, with Bowers adding the final run in the fourth when she took an 0-1 pitch and hit it over the center field fence to provide the final margin of 9-0.
WOU outhit EOU 7-1, with Amanda Smith picking up the only hit for the Mountaineers. In the circle, Ashton Kazmierski went the first three innings to take the loss (0-1) allowing eight earned runs.
In the second game, WOU was able to slowly stretch the lead throughout the seven innings while Bishop kept EOU to just one run in the 5-1 victory.
Bishop went all seven innings for her second win (2-1) of the season, allowing just the one earned run. She added three strikeouts without a walk.
Offensively, Creach led the way with a 3-4 game, adding another run and RBI. Arceneaux and Carlos added two hits apiece, while Recolan led the offense with two RBI.
In the home half of the first inning, Coy began the frame with a single. Creach then reached on a bunt single and after a fielder's choice moved the runners to the corners, Recolan picked up the RBI when she hit a ball back to the shortstop that brought in Coy as the throw later got away allowing Recolan to reach first.
Still 1-0 into the third, Creach opened the inning with a single, which was followed by a bunt single from Arceneaux. Recolan then hit a single up the middle to plate Creach and move the lead to 2-0. Following a pair of outs, Lynn came through with a two-out single to third base to bring in the third run of the game.
EOU tallied their only run of the day with an RBI single in the fifth to cut the deficit to 3-1. The Wolves added the final two runs of the game in the sixth. Drury walked with one out and then Carlos singled before both stole second and third. Following the second out, Creach hit a sharp single to center for the RBI and then another single to center from Arceneaux pushed the lead to 5-1 after six.
Bishop worked a quick 1-2-3 seventh to finish off the 5-1 victory. WOU outhit EOU 10-5, with five players picking up a hit for EOU and three pitchers saw time in the circle as Smith ended up with the loss (0-1) allowing three runs (two earned) in three innings.
WOU will travel to Tucson, Ariz., next week to compete in the Tucson Invitational Friday through Sunday starting with a pair of games on Friday, Feb. 14 against nationally-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville at 10 a.m., before finishing the first day against Cal University of Pennsylvania at 12:30 p.m.
