Owls win in 12-innings, Settle for Split to Open up NAIA Championship Play

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LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – After winning a marathon 12-inning first game 3-2 over No. 22 Southeastern (Fla.) Monday, No. 20 Oregon Tech fell 5-2 to the NAIA's top ranked team No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett in their second game. The Owls will now play at 9:00 am (Pacific) Tuesday against Northwestern Ohio for the right to play Georgia Gwinnett in the title game(s) in the Lawrenceville Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round.
 
"I am really proud of how our ladies battled today," said head coach Greg Stewart. "We pitched well both games and got some timely hits. After a long, hot day and having to win game one in 12 innings, I was real pleased with the way we played against the number 1 ranked team in the country at their park."
 
Game 1 No.20 Oregon Tech 3 No.22 Southeastern (Fla.) 2 (12 innings) 
Rachael Delamare (Pictured by Kelly Caleb) hit a solo home run in game one in the top of the 12th to lift the Owls to the 3-2 victory. Loryn Willaim pitched all 12-innings to pick up the win for OIT as she improved to 13-2 on the year.
 
The Hooter took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning as Ali Graham hit her 7th home run of the year to deep left field scoring Tara Moates who had tripled to start the inning.
 
The Fire tied the game at 2-2 with a two-run homer of their own off the bat of Brandee Pietrazak in the 5th.
 
The game would stay that way until the 12th when Delamare crushed her 4th homer of the year.
 
Freshman Logan Nunes led the Owls with three-hits in the game and made two impressive catches in right field. Kiahna Brown added 2-hits the win.
 
Game 2 No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett 5 No.20 Oregon Tech 2
 
The Owls took an early lead on the nation's top team with two-runs in the second inning on two-hits and a pair of Grizzly errors.
 
With the Owls leading 2-0, starting pitcher Sarah Abramson seemed to be rolling tallying 6-strikeouts in the first two and two thirds innings. Then GGC picked up a huge two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the third by Tori Robinson tying the game at 2-2.
 
Georgia Gwinnett College seemed to grab the momentum and carry that into the next inning as they scored two-more runs and chased Abramson from the game in the fourth.
 
GGC added a run in the 6th to take a 5-2 lead.
 
The Owls however did not go quietly in the 7th. With one-out, Nunes walked, McKenna Armantrout then doubled to put runners on second and third. After Shayna Ige grounded out, Sahalie Doe then drew a walk to bring the winning run to the plate in NAIA All-American Tara Moates who just missed and pooped out to centerfield to end the game.
 
Armantrout led Tech with 2-hits in the loss.

Press release from Oregon Tech Sports Information.

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