By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University softball team began the 2023 season by hosting non-conference opponent Eastern Oregon University in a doubleheader at the WU Softball Field on Saturday, Feb. 4. The Bearcats lost a hard-fought 3-1 result in the first game, but had the tying run at first base with one out in the top of the seventh. In the second game, the Mountaineers completed the sweep with an 8-0 win on the run rule in five innings, as Kaylie Hoskins threw a no-hitter for EOU.
With the wins, Eastern Oregon moved to 2-0 on the season. Willamette ended the doubleheader with a 0-2 record.
Willamette will return action on Saturday, Feb. 11 with two games against Warner Pacific University. First pitch at the WU Softball Field is set for 12 p.m. (PST). with the second game to start at about 2:00 p.m.
Pitchers Davis and Stallings Battle in First Game
In the opener, Willamette pitcher Kenna Davis (So., 3B/SS/P, Alameda, CA/Alameda HS) and EOU pitcher Mckenna Stallings combined to lead their teams from the circle. Stallings picked up the win while limiting the Bearcats to three hits and one walk. She registered four strikeouts and faced just 23 batters. Davis allowed just six hits and three runs, while walking two batters and matching Stallings with four strikeouts. She faced 25 batters.
For the Bearcats, Brianna Majors (Sr., SS/2B, San Diego, CA/Cathedral Catholic HS) belted a double, while Mia Lund (Jr., UT, Omaha, NE/Westside HS) and Faith Collar (So., P/UT, Portland, OR/Roosevelt HS) each hit a single. Kelly Monaghan led Eastern Oregon with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate. Four other Mountaineers each contributed a single.
Davis and Stallings did not allow a run by either team in the first three innings. In the top of the fourth, Camryn Willier and Monaghan started the inning with back-to-back singles for EOU. A fielder's choice to left field by Haley Ebner led to a nice throw from Lund to Julia Koorn (Jr., 3B, Purmerend, Netherlands/Arizona Western College) as the Bearcats threw out Willier at third base.
Truh Merriman hit a sacrifice bunt toward the circle, moving Monaghan to third and Ebner to second. Caitlin Crist followed with a double to left center to drive both runners across the plate. Crist stole third base, but a groundout by Shelby Starr ended the threat.
Majors smacked her double to left center to begin the bottom of the fourth for the Bearcats. She advanced to third base when Lund followed with a single to right. After Lund stole second base, Marykate DeLuca (Sr., C, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) hit a fly ball to left center. Majors scored, but Lund was thrown out at third.
Eastern Oregon added an insurance run in the top of the fifth. With one out, Karsyn Zaragoza singled through the right side. Hannah Tyree hit a double to left center that sent Zaragoza home. Tyree attempted to stretch the hit into a triple and was throughout 8-2-5 at third base.
Neither team scored during the final two and a half innings. In the top of the sixth, Monaghan provided EOU with a leadoff single, but a double-play and a strikeout ended the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, DeLuca walked with one out and Adele Benny (Jr., OF, Bee Cave, TX/Lake Travis HS) pinch-ran. The walk to DeLuca brought the tying run to the plate. Gianna Marchese (Grad., 3B/1B, Seattle, WA/Bishop Blanchet HS/St. Martin's Univ.) flied out down the right field line and Koorn flied out to center field to end the game.
Mountaineers Score Three Runs in 1st Inning of Second Game
Eastern Oregon plated three runs in the first inning on their way to the 8-0 run-rule victory in the second game. The Mountaineers tacked on one run in the third inning and scored three runs in the third. EOU completed the scoring with one run in the fourth.
Hoskins was outstanding in the circle for Eastern Oregon. She earned a five-inning no-hitter and struck out 11 batters with just two walks. She threw 78 pitches.
The Mountaineers recorded four hits in the first stanza, including a two-run homer by Hannah Tyree to bring in the first two runs. Crist, who started the inning with a single, also scored on the play. Other hits were a single by Karly Hanosky and a double by Monaghan. Hanosky tallied the third run when Haley Tyree walked with the bases loaded.
Hannah Tyree added a sacrifice fly to score Crist in the second inning. Two of EOU's three runs in the third inning were unearned, as the Mountaineers increased their lead to 7-0. The final run was scored in the fourth inning when Keira Dean reached base on an error and eventually scored on a double to center field by Haley Tyree. Ribordy was at first base when Tyree batted, and was thrown out at the plate to end the inning when she tried to score behind Dean.
WU's starting pitcher, Collar, took the loss for the Bearcats after allowing three runs in the first inning. Abigail Loomis (Fy., P/OF, Canby, OR/Canby HS) tossed the last four innings for Willamette and gave up five runs -- two earned -- while throwing 77 pitches. Overall, five of EOU's eight runs were earned as Willamette committed three errors.
