By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

REDDING, CALIF. -- Freshman pitcher Alex Watilo (RHP, Newcastle, CA/Del Oro HS) threw a four-hitter with four strikeouts to lead Willamette University to a 3-0 victory over the Oregon Institute of Technology on Sunday, March 22 at Simpson University. WU, ranked #8 in NCAA Division III, went to 9-1 on the season. Oregon Tech saw its record fall to 6-6.

Sierra Lessel (Fr., LF, Eugene, OR/Churchill HS), Susie Krewer (Fr., 2B, Sacramento, Ca/Mira Loma HS) and Suzannah Von Trapp (Fr., 3B, Salem, OR/South Salem, HS) registered two hits apiece for the Bearcats. Willamette pounded out nine hits overall.

Watilo improved to 5-0 on the season, as she recorded her second shutout. Becca Anderson, who threw a complete game for OIT, fell to 3-2. She allowed nine hits and struck out two batters.

The game was scoreless until the top of the fourth inning, when WU tallied two runs. With one out, LaShawna Holcomb (Sr., CF, Renton, WA/Hazen HS) reached base on an error by third baseman Andria Wheatley. Kewer moved Holcomb to third with a double. Mica Romero (Fr., SS, Wooldand, CA/Woodland Christian) drove in both runners with a single.

WU added a run in the top of the seventh. Von Trapp hit a double with two outs in the inning. Lessel batted next and provided the Bearcats with an RBI double.

Meanwhile, Watilo was keeping the Owls of the scoreboard. Oregon Tech managed to get two runners on base int he first, third and seventh innings, but was unable to push a run across the plate.

With no outs in the first stanza, back-to-back errors put Sunceray Titus and Amber Sinicrope at first and second, respectively. Watilo got Katie King to hit into a double play and forced Brittany Warren into a ground out. In the third, Sinicrope singled with one out and Titus reached base on an error. King ended the threat by hitting into a double play for the second time in three innings.

Watilo had to work out of a jam in the seventh. Bess Fagan flied out to center field to open the stanza. Wheatley singled and moved to second on a ground out by Ashleigh Larson. Kayde Schaefer walked, then both runners moved up one base on a passed ball. Pinch-hitter Bree Larson grounded out to Watilo to end the game.

The Bearcats and the Owls are slated to play again on Monday, March 23. Game time in Redding, Calif., is set for 11 a.m. (PDT).