EUGENE, Ore. – Battling wind, rain, sleet and snow, the Bushnell Beacons softball team rallied for a 12-11 victory to complete a three-game CCC sweep over the University of Providence. The Argos closed the weekend with a 9-7 victory in the non-conference clash.
GAME ONE: Bushnell 12, Providence 11
After enduring four lead changes and a 20-minute snow delay, Bushnell pulled out a come-from-behind victory on a walk-off RBI single by
Breanna Hilton in the bottom of the seventh inning.
A messy game from the start, battling through plenty of rain and sleet before an eventual delay in the bottom of the fifth, the teams combined for 15 walks and 12 errors in the game with Bushnell committing eight, resulting in all 11 Argo runs being unearned.
Alyssa Ferreira got things going in the bottom of the second inning with a two-run single and
Madison Steelman made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly. Providence quickly responded, scoring three in the third and took a 5-3 lead in the fourth.
Bushnell took the lead right back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five runs, all with two outs on the board to go ahead 8-5.
Providence yet again took control, scoring six runs in the top of the fifth, highlighted by a bases-clearing three-run triple from Taylor Mathews.
Trailing 11-8, Bushnell answered once again in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game with three runs as
Hannah Tennant and
Sam Silver posted RBI singles up the middle of the field.
Providence took the lead once again in the sixth inning with a bases-loaded walk, setting up the seventh inning drama for the Beacons. Bushnell quickly loaded the bases with no outs and tied the game at 12-12 on an RBI hit-by-pitch for Silver. After a strikeout, Hilton came to the plate and drilled a single to right field, scoring Tennant for the victory.
Silver (3-7) did a little of everything for the Beacons as she grabbed her second pitching victory of the weekend and went 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI. It was career win number 14 for the senior, putting her in a tie for fifth place on the Beacon all-time wins list.
Deven Creech (1-4) went the distance for the Argos, giving up ten earned runs on ten hits while striking out five.
GAME TWO: Providence 9, Bushnell 7
The non-conference game proved to be one of missed opportunities for the Beacons as they pounded out 15 hits in the game but left ten women on base.
The Argos, however, took advantage of their own opportunities, including an inside-the-park grand slam in the second inning that proved to be the difference maker.
Steelman led the way for Bushnell hitting 3-for-5 while Erika Allen,
Faith Wayman, Silver, and
Mandy Fetters added two hits apiece.
Liz Hillier (2-3) started for the Beacons and went two innings.
Jada Young threw the final five innings in relief and helped give Bushnell a chance to get back into it as she allowed just two runs on five hits while striking out four.
Next:
The Beacons (7-20, 3-11 CCC) remain at home next weekend for a huge test as they take on NAIA No. 1-ranked Oregon Tech (24-5, 14-1) beginning on Friday at 2:00 pm.
