COLUMBUS, Ga. – In the NAIA Softball World Series, Oregon Tech must make it through three consolation matches to reach the national title contest for the second straight year. Top-ranked Our Lady of the Lake advanced to the winners tournament final with a 3-0 win over the Lady Owls behind a 10-strikeout performance from All-American Cassie Valdez.
OIT (48-11) was limited to just four hits and failed to advance a runner to third base, suffering its second shutout loss of the season.
Valdez, a three-time Red River Athletic Conference pitcher of the year who transferred from Division I to Texas State, used a combination of riseballs and changeups to keep a dangerous Lady Owls lineup off balance. Tech put runners on first and second in the first and sixth innings, but Valdez ended both threats with a pair of popups.
The Saints (55-3) took advantage of two OIT errors in the first inning to score three unearned runs. With Valdez at second with one out, a routine grounder bobbled to advance Natalie Rodriguez. Alyssa Flores then grounded out to second to send Valdez home to make it 1-0. Kayla Drees added one more run and then another on an Owls fielding error.
Casey Schmidt In the losing game, he was outstanding on the mound for the Owls, limiting OLLU to a season-low three hits while walking four and striking out two. Puakea Milbourne The sophomore has been in good form in the World Series with two hits and one walk in two at-bats, reaching base in all six of his at-bats in the tournament.
OIT will play its second match of the tournament against the University of the Cumberlands in the final game on Memorial Day at 10 a.m. The game will be broadcast live on 104.3 and 960 Sports in the Klamath Basin.
