REDDING, Calif. - The Simpson softball team split with No.4 Oregon Tech today to begin CCC play as they dropped game one 6-4 and took the second game of the twin-bill 3-2.
The Red Hawks took the early lead as they plated two runs in the second inning on a two-run single by
Angela Taylor Ortiz before the Owls answered back in the top of the third inning with a two-run blast by Sawyer Stenson to tie the game.
Ortiz came through again for the Red Hawks as she notched an RBI single through the left side of the infield to give Simpson the 3-2 advantage.
But the Owls took advantage of two Simpson errors in the top of the sixth inning as they plated three runs on two hits. An errant Simpson throw allowed the tying run to score before Leah Huffman stroked a two-run single into left field to give the Owls the 5-3 lead.
An insurance run in the seventh inning allowed the Owls to hold onto the 6-4 victory as the Red Hawks brought the tying run to the plate before Kritine Schmidt nailed down her first save of the year.
Freshman
Angela Taylor Ortiz led the Simpson bats with a two-hit performance that included three RBIs.
Starter
Jacquelyn Lujan suffered the loss as she fired a complete game while striking out seven batters and allowing just three earned runs.
For Tech, Alli Parker earned the win as she tossed 6.0 innings of four-run ball. Offensively, Stenson and Puakea Milbourne led the bats with two-hit performances.
Game 2:
The combined efforts of starter
Grace Chojnacki and reliever
Jacquelyn Lujan kept the OIT bats at bay in game two.
A two-out rally by the Red Hawks included RBI singles by Oliva Bicondova and
Nayzeth Gonzalez to give Simpson the early 2-0 lead in the first before adding a key insurance run in the fourth inning on an RBI groundout by
Ariel Schulzkump.
Chojnacki surrendered her first run of the game in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Gina Allen. The Owls pulled within one run in the sixth inning as Lujan entered the game to record the five-out save.
Lujan dazzled as she faced a minimum of five batters by recording a groundout, strikeout, and three straight fly balls to end the game to preserve the 3-2 victory to earn her first save of the year.
Chojnacki picked up the win as she fired 5.1 innings of work while scattering five hits before handing the ball to Lujan for the five-out save.
Simpson mustered three hits while Bicondova posted two hits and an RBI, and Gonzalez added an RBI single.
Jenna Gorden took the loss for OIT as she tossed 0.2 innings of work before handing the ball to Kristine Schmidt, who fired 5.1 innings of one-run ball. Gina Allen led the Owls with a two-for-four game.
The Red Hawks and Owls clash tomorrow for a doubleheader with the first pitch scheduled for 11 am.
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