LA GRANDE, Ore. – Whitworth avoided a four-game sweep at NAIA #24 Eastern Oregon by winning the non-conference softball series finale on Sunday afternoon at Anderson Field. The Mountaineers won the first game 12-4 in six innings.
The Pirates (4-6) will take next weekend off before hosting defending Northwest Conference champion Linfield in their first home games of the season.
Game 1 – EOU 12, Whitworth 4 (6 innings)
The Mountaineers (7-2) broke open a 3-3 tie with six runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Katie McKinnis got things started in the first inning for the Bucs when she drew a one out walk and stole second. With two outs McKinnis stole third and scored when the catcher's throw got away.
Gates Leatherwood drilled a three-run homer for the Mountaineers in the bottom of the second to put the hosts ahead 3-1.
Whitworth tied the game in the top of the third when Julia Dillon doubled home Haley Montoya with one out, then scored on Jazz Johnson's sacrifice fly to center field.
EOU broke open the game with six runs in the fourth. Karly Hanosky drove in the first two runs with a single to right field. Maddy Stateler drove home the final two with a double to left.
The Bucs got one run back in the fifth when McKinnis scored from third base on a wild pitch.
The Mountaineers added two in the bottom of the fifth, including Leatherwood's fourth RBI of the game, then ended it in the sixth on Kat Hylton's RBI single.
A trio of Eastern pitchers limited Whitworth to five hits. Natalie Dimitrov allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits over the first 2.1 innings as the starter. Isabella King (1-0) went the next 2.2 innings and gave up one run on one hit to pick up the win in relief. Kylie Parsons pitched a scoreless sixth.
Corinne Vasiloff (2-3) took the loss after allowing 10 runs (7 earned) on eight hits and two walks over four innings. Reiss McIntyre gave up two runs in the fifth and Kaleigh Bauerle allowed the final run in the sixth.
Game 2 – Whitworth 7, EOU 1
The Pirates jumped ahead and stayed ahead in the finale, backing the strong pitching performance from Momi Lyman.
Lyman (2-3) shut out the Mountaineers on three hits through the first six innings and finished with a complete-game six-hitter. She struck out two and did not walk a batter.
Montoya led off the game with a walk and scored on Jazz Johnson's infield single in the first. The Bucs added a run on Dillon's RBI single in the top of the third.
Whitworth broke open the game with a five-spot in the top of the fourth. The Bucs loaded the bases on an infield error, a walk and a single. With two outs Whitworth was in danger of leaving the bases loaded before Montoya doubled down the left field line to drive in all three runners. Makena Hofford and Jazz Johnson followed with RBI singles.
Eastern put together a minor rally in the bottom of the seventh with three hits. Hanosky's RBI double drove in the only run.
Macao Jackson (0-1) started in the circle for EOU and took the loss after allowing six runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks over 3.2 innings. After Hannah Ebner allowed a run on three hits before closing out the fourth, Kaylie Hoskins tossed the final three frames for Eastern.
