MONMOUTH, Ore. – Following a marathon opening game of the day, the Western Oregon University softball team used the momentum from their 4-3 win in 11 innings to cruise to the 11-4 win in the series finale to sweep the day on Sunday against Montana State Billings in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.
The first game took over three hours and both starting pitchers last all 11 innings. The Wolves played another 11 inning game last year at home in an instant classic against Northwest Nazarene in which Chandler Bishop hit the walk-off grand slam for the 13-9 win in 11 innings.
Reilly Tidwell tossed all 11 innings for the complete game win (3-2), coming away with 10 strikeouts and 10 walks, allowing just three runs (two earned). She threw 217 pitches. Alyssa Ehteridge went all 10.1 innings for the 'Jackets to end up with the loss (4-5), allowing four runs (three earned), along with 14 strikeouts to four walks, while allowing nine hits.
Montana State Billings (10-16, 4-4 GNAC) carried the momentum from the day before scoring two runs in the second and then another in the fifth for the 3-0 lead. WOU (15-14, 2-6 GNAC) answered back in a big way in the home half of the fifth.
With one out, Logan Carlos connected on her seventh home run of the season, a solo shot to left-center. Maddie Doig drew a full-count walk and then scored on a double just inside the left field line by Zoie Recolan for the RBI. After Natalie Willoughby walked, Erica Soliz tied the game with a shot near the base of the right-center field wall for an RBI double and a 3-3 score.
WOU looked to take the lead in the sixth with Kate Ronning drawing a walk and Carlos singling, but a line out back to the pitcher and a groundout to second stranded the runners.
Tidwell worked around a big jam in the seventh. With one out, the 'Jackets tallied a pair of singles around a walk to load the bases. A pop up to third and then a groundout to second left the bases loaded and kept the game tied at three.
Tidwell continued to come up clutch in the eighth. With two runners on, she tallied a full-count strikeout to keep the game tied. In the home half, Bella Valdes singled with two outs, but was left at first.
After neither team put a runner on in the ninth, the game went into the international tiebreaker rule in the 10th by placing the player that made the last out the inning before at second. Tidwell worked a 1-2-3 10th and then Etheridge matched it in the home half to extend the game to the 11th.
The Yellowjackets advanced the runner to third with a sacrifice bunt, but Tidwell again denied MSUB with a pair of groundouts to keep the game tied.
WOU then broke through in the home half of the 11th. With Sophie Franklin at second, she would move to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ronning. Valdes wasted no time cashing in hitting a grounder to short and the shortstop hesitated before deciding to throw home, but it was much too late as Valdes reached on the fielder's choice RBI bringing in Franklin with the 4-3 winning run.
The Wolves held the 9-5 edge in hits and the teams combined for four errors, three by WOU. Carlos, Soliz and Valdes all had two hits to lead WOU. Carlos, Soliz, Valdes and Recolan all picked up RBI.
Maycen O'Neal led MSUB with two hits and both Allie Hughes and Marin Penney collected RBI.
WOU took the momentum from that win right into the series finale. After Jada Young worked a scoreless top of the first, the offense went to work. Carlos walked and later was forced out on a fielder's choice groundout by Doig. Recolan ripped a double to deep left-center to put runners at second and third. Willoughby drove in the first of her five runs in the finale as she connected on a 1-0 pitch and hit it deep to right-center for a pair of RBI and the 2-0 lead. Kirah McGlothan closed the scoring in the frame with an RBI single up the middle for the 3-0 lead.
MSUB answered in the second getting a three-run homer to cap the four-run inning as they took the lead at 4-3.
WOU evened the score in the third. Recolan singling and later was forced out on a fielder's choice hit that put Willoughby at first. Soliz singled to put runners at the corners. Following an out, Franklin hit a single to right between three defenders to score the tying run.
The Wolves took the lead for good in the fourth. With one out, Carlos, Doig and Recolan all hit consecutive singles to load the bases. Willoughby came through again with a bullet through the infield that went for a double and a pair of RBI. Soliz capped the frame with an RBI groundout to second to leave WOU with the 7-4 lead.
While the offense was getting it going, Nicki Derrick was lights out in the circle. Having entered in the third, Derrick retired nine straight batters before allowing a hit-by-pitch in the fifth. Derrick didn't allow a hit until the seventh and tossed five scoreless innings in relief.
WOU added some extra insurance runs in the sixth. Doig walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Recolan doubled to left-center to score Doig. Willoughby brought in her fifth run of the game with another double, this one to left to score Recolan. Following an out, McGlothan walked and Franklin singled to load the bases. Ronning drew a bases-loaded walk for the RBI. Valdes hit a shot to left field for a sacrifice fly to bring in McGlothan to provide the final margin of 11-4.
Derrick worked around a pair of singles in the seventh to close the game out.
Derrick improved to 1-1 on the season with her five shutout innings. She allowed just the two hits and added three strikeouts without a walk. Young pitched the first two innings and allowed four earned runs.
Recolan went 4-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Willoughby posted three hits, three runs scored and five RBI. Carlos and Franklin added two hits apiece.
Five players had a hit to lead MSUB. In the circle, Julia Qualteri started and went the first 3.1 innings to end up with the loss (5-6) allowing seven earned runs. Preslee Christensen went the next two innings and allowed four earned runs before Jenna Kister tallied the last two outs.
WOU will remain at home this coming week when they will face Saint Martin's in GNAC action on Saturday and Sunday with a pair of doubleheaders starting at 12 p.m. each day at the WOU Softball Field.
