KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The Northwest Christian University softball team took down No. 23 Oregon Tech in game one of a double-header on Saturday, 6-4, leading to a split with the Owls in Cascade Collegiate Conference action. The win kept NCU's slim postseason hopes alive.
 
Tied at 0-0 as they headed into the fifth inning, the Beacons scored all six of their runs and did so on just one hit, taking advantage of a number of fielding miscues and a less-than-controlled pitching performance. Taylor Medley and Madi Novelli walked to open the inning and Jess Garner singled to load the bases with no outs. Then Anita Singh earned an RBI walk and Paige Griffith reached on an error by shortstop to score another run and leave the bases loaded for Parker Fritter.
 
Fritter was also issued a bases-loaded walk and Ashlee Cole was then hit-by a pitch to score another, making it 4-0 in favor of the Beacons. Kiara Vasquez was next to the plate and her sacrifice fly to right field scored another run and moved all runners up one base. The final run then scored on an RBI ground-out by Kyndle DelCollo to give the Beacons the 6-0 lead.
 
OIT tried to mount a comeback, scoring two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and one in the seventh, but junior Katie Walker (pictured) survived for the complete game win for her fourth victory of the season.
 
Oregon Tech came back to claim a 9-1 win in the second game in five innings. The winning run came in the bottom of the fifth on an error.
 
NCU scored their only run in the second inning when DelCollo came home on an RBI single by Madi Jones.
 
Janieve Boyles (3-11) took the loss for the Beacons, allowing seven earned runs through four innings of work.
 
The Beacons (14-30) who bettered their win total from last season with the victory, will be back in action on Tuesday for their final regular-season road games, visiting Western Oregon University in a non-conference double-header.