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6th Inning Rally Sends Lady Owls to Bracket Title Game

KLUM

via Oregon Tech Athletics

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Five outs away from their season being ended, Oregon Tech staged a dramatic sixth inning comeback to top St. Thomas (Fla.), 7-5, advancing to their tenth-straight NAIA Softball Championship Opening Round championship game, capping Day 3 of competition at Stilwell Stadium.

The Lady Owls (45-10) earned a rematch with No. 19-ranked Vanguard tomorrow at 1 p.m., as the Lions topped Tech, 8-2, in the early game, before the hosts staved off elimination under the lights.

“We have given ourselves a chance,” said OIT head coach Greg Stewart. “It’s an amazing feat to know we have reached the Opening Round championship game every year since 2014.”

OIT is 5-4 in title match-ups, including four-straight wins – 2019 in Marion, Ind., 2021 in Waleska, Ga., along with victories the last two years at home.

The day didn’t start well for Tech, as VU (42-11) jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings and rode right-hander Brianna Williams to a victory. After plating two first inning runs, Aeri Corral lined an RBI triple to right and a batter later, Camryn Walker hit a 3-run homer to center to cap the big inning.

The Lions made a pair of great defensive plays to thwart rallies to end the second and third, but the Owls finally broke through in the fourth on Addison Kachnik’s second homer of the season. However, Tech did not get another runner into scoring position.

Noni Chaves was 2-for-4 and Corral finished 3-for-3 for VU, while Kachnik was 2-for-3 and Mckenzie Staub had two hits for Tech.

The Owls faced the Bobcats (40-12) in the nightcap after STU earned a 1-0 win over Embry-Riddle in an elimination game – getting a fifth inning RBI single from Jade Fayad and a 3-hit shutout from Anna Toon.

The Florida squad rode a Toon 3-run first inning homer to take the lead, but Tech chipped away at the deficit. The hosts scored a run on a first inning double-steal and cut the margin to 4-3 in the second on a Nita Cook bases loaded walk.

Lexi Klum got the Owls within 5-4 in the fifth with a solo homer to left – before the sixth inning rallied staved off elimination. Malia Mick singled with one out and reached second on a fielders’ choice from older sister, Kaila Mick. Cook followed with a game-tying, two-strike, RBI single to center. With runners at second and third, Puakea Milbourne dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt to plate Kaila Mick for the go-ahead run. Jayce Seavert capped the rally with a sacrifice fly.

Kacie Schmidt did the rest, rebounding from a tough start against Vanguard to toss three-plus innings of no-hit relief, striking out two, to log her 23rd win.

Both Mick sisters had two hits in the win, as did Cook.

OIT is one of three Cascade Conference team still alive in the tournament – as Eastern Oregon and Southern Oregon each advanced to their Opening Round title games.

Game 1 – No. 4 Embry-Riddle 10, No. 5 Florida National 0
Game 2 – No. 2 Vanguard 8, No. 3 St. Thomas 5
Game 3 – No. 1 Oregon Tech 4, Embry-Riddle 3 (8 inn.)
Game 4 – St. Thomas 6, Florida National 5 (FNU eliminated)
Game 5 – Vanguard 8, Oregon Tech 2
Game 6 – St. Thomas 1, Embry-Riddle 0 (ERAU eliminated)
Game 7 – Oregon Tech 7, St. Thomas 5 (STU eliminated)
Game 8 – Vanguard vs. Oregon Tech, Thursday, 1 p.m.
Game 9 – if necessary, 40 minutes after Game 8