College softball: EOU splits with Thunderbirds
Published 7:12 am Monday, March 18, 2024
LA GRANDE — The 14th-ranked La Grande softball team swept two games from the University of British Columbia on Saturday before dropping two on Sunday.
Saturday, the Mountaineers rode the impressive pitching performance of Kaylie Hoskins to a 2-0 win in the opener and took the second game 9-1. Hoskins struck out 11 and gave up three hits while walking one for the victory. Madelyn Durham supplied all the offense in the fourth inning when she singled and two runs scored on a throwing error.
The Mountaineers jumped out early in the second game as Hannah Tyree hit a two-run home run and Durham and Maddy Stateler had RBI hits in the third inning to make it 4-0. EOU would add five runs in the sixth innings. Kylie Parsons got the win, allowing one run on four hits with eight strikeouts.
The Thunderbirds responded by taking both games from EOU on Sunday, 4-1 and 6-5. Eastern Oregon’s only offense in the opener came in the sixth when Madison Olson doubled home Olivia Brown.
EOU tied the second game at 5-all in the sixth inning when Addison Ribordy’s base hit brought in Stateler, but a single and an error helped the Thunderbirds score in the seventh to win.
EOU had eight hits in the game, led by Olson’s three.
The Mounties will look to bounce back this weekend when they travel to Portland to face Warner Pacific.