SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – Visiting Eastern Oregon University took the first two games of the Cascade Collegiate Conference series with the Bushnell University softball team on Friday afternoon with 9-4 and 12-6 victories at Rich Schwab Field.

Anabel Mendez led Bushnell (5-7, 3-2 CCC) at the plate on Friday, finishing 4-for-7 with two RBIs. Eastern Oregon (10-5, 2-0 CCC) earns a pair of wins in its conference-opening series and has now won eight of its last 10 games.

GAME ONE: Eastern Oregon 9, Bushnell 4
Amanda Smith, the starting pitcher for the Mountaineers, did not allow a hit until the bottom of the fourth inning as the visitors held an 8-0 lead entering the frame.  

Jordan Kuykendall recorded an RBI-triple in the bottom of the fourth to get the Beacons on the scoreboard. Breanna Hilton retired the next six Mountaineers before the Beacons added a run in the bottom of the sixth. Mendez led off the inning with a double to left field and Braydi Johnson drove her in with a two-out single through the right side to bring the score to 8-2.

An RBI-triple from Madison Steelman followed by an RBI-single from Mendez in the bottom of the seventh wouldn't be enough as Eastern secured the opener 9-4.

Aliyah Kelly (2-4) took the loss in the circle for the Beacons, allowing seven runs (six earned) on nine hits through three innings pitched. Hilton allowed two runs on two hits.

Smith (4-1) pitched a complete game for the Mountaineers, giving up four runs on six hits.

GAME TWO: Eastern Oregon 12, Bushnell 6
Bushnell got out to a 6-1 lead in the first inning of game two before Eastern Oregon scored 11 unanswered runs to sweep the Beacons on Friday.

Mendez drove in the first run of the six-run bottom of the first with a single to left. Faith Wayman followed with a two-run single to center. Kuykendall got in on the rally with another RBI-single before Suzi Krstic concluded the scoring by driving in two more runs with the fourth single of the inning.

The Mountaineers scored four runs in the top of the second to narrow their deficit to one before getting five more across the plate in the fourth inning.

Abby Giles (4-1) entered the game with no outs in the first inning, allowing just two runs on seven hits and no walks through the contest. Hannah Tyree picked up four RBIs on the game.

Sam Silver (2-3) got the start in game two for the Beacons, allowing 10 runs (six earned) on nine hits through 3.2 innings of work. Leslie Reynaga saw her first batters of the season in relief, allowing two runs on two hits with 10 walks through the remaining 3.1 innings.  

Mendez, Wayman and Krystal Akagi recorded two hits apiece for the Beacons in the second game.

The Beacons and Mountaineers finish off the series with another doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m.