LA GRANDE, Ore. - The Carroll College Softball team picked up a much-needed win in the third, and final, conference game of their weekend series at No. 11 Eastern Oregon before dropping a non-conference afternoon tilt on Saturday at Peggy Anderson Field.
The Fighting Saints (15-17, 10-9) pulled two games clear of UBC in the chase for the No. 5-seed in the upcoming CCC Championship with a big-time conference series win over the nation's No. 11-ranked team, the Mountaineers (23-6, 18-3).
GAME ONE: Carroll - 7, No. 11 EOU - 5
It was Carroll who jumped out in front for the first time in the series on Saturday morning, as a wild pitch with runners on second and third allowed the first run of the day to come home.
Taylor Sayers (Helena, Mont. / FR) doubled the lead with an RBI single and the Saints would head into the bottom of the first with a 2-0 lead.
Hannah Tyree got one run back in the home half of the first for the Mounties with an RBI single down the line in right.
Eastern Oregon would tie things up in the second frame, as an attempted sac bunt was aided by a throwing error allowing everyone to advance safely. Raygun Klippert would give EOU its first lead of the day just a few batters later with an RBI single through the right side of the infield as the Mounties went on top 3-2.
Sammie Laburn (Kalispell, Mont. / JR), who has been swinging the bat as well as any Saint in recent games, led-off the top of the third with a single. Five walks later, the Saints found themselves with a 5-3 lead after three-consecutive runs were walked in with the bases loaded.
Carlee Smith (Blackfoot, Idaho / SO) continued her strong weekend performance at the plate in the fourth frame, blasting a two RBI single through the left side to give the Saints a comfortable 7-3 lead.
The Mountaineers would add runs in the fifth inning on a sac fly to left, and the sixth inning on a Haley Tyree solo shot to left center, but their comeback bid would get no closer as Carroll closed out their second series win over a ranked opponent this season (College of Idaho).
Labrum was stellar at the plate, going 3-5 with three runs on the day.
Carlee Smith was 2-2 with a pair of walks, one run scored and two RBI.
In the circle,
Kennedy Venner (Billings, Mont. / JR) wasn't as dominant as recent appearances, but did more than enough for the win with three strikeouts and eight hits allowed.
GAME TWO: Carroll - 2, No. 11 EOU - 7
The non-conference fourth game of the series belonged to the Mountaineers, as they powered to a 7-2 win behind a five-run fourth.
Morgan Sunchild (Great Falls, Mont. / SR) gave Carroll an early lead with an RBI single into left field in the top of the first, but the Mounties responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to lead 2-1.
Kenna Thomas (Belgrade, Mont. / SR) doubled-in the tying for run for the Saints in the third inning with an RBI single into the gap in right center.
Eastern Oregon broke the game open in the fourth inning. Kelly Monaghan, Haley Tyree, Katelynn Evans, and Madelyn Durham each tallied RBI doubles in the Mounties' big inning, giving them a 7-2 lead that wouldn't be surrendered. The Saints only put one runner on base over the final three frames as Eastern Oregon coasted to the 7-2 win.
Sunchild was 2-3 in the second game, while Thomas finished 2-2 with a walk.
Liz Ybarra (Fullerton, Calif. / SR) was the lone other Saint to record a hit in the final game of the series.
Another road trip, and a another Top-5Â team awaits the Saints next week as they travel to Klamath Falls, Ore. for a four-game series against No. 2 Oregon Tech on Friday and Saturday.
Visit www.carrollathletics.com for a preview of that series, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.
FOLLOW THE FIGHTING SAINTS
Facebook: @carrollcollegeathletics
Instagram: @cc_saints
X: @CCsaints
#MarchOn
