Home

Oregon Tech gets two losses at the Cajun Collision

by
Bob Broughton
February 8, 2024

The Oregon Tech Hustlin’ Owls are still looking for their first win of the season after dropping two games, both of them against ranked teams, at the Cajun Collision in Sterlington, LA.

First game: Central Methodist 7, Oregon Tech 6. A seven-inning game that was close all the way, but the #22-ranked Eagles, who won their first two games of the season, won it with a three-run home run in the top of the fifth inning by Carlos Negron of Corazal, Puerto Rico. That gave the Eagles a 7-4 lead. The Owls got one back in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Patrick Barry. They had the tying run at first with no outs in the bottom of the seventh; Kyle Norton started the inning by reaching on an error, then went to third on a single by Julien Jones. Norton scored when Jones was caught stealing. Tyler Horner walked, putting the tying run at first again. He was stranded there when Matthew Ortiz hit a line drive to center field that was caught for the second out, and Alonzo Vergara hit an infield popup to end it.

Horner hit a home run in the second inning to give the Owls an early lead, and hit an RBI double an inning later. Eagles starter Sebastian Escobar of Monteria, Columbia got the win. Owls starter Bronson Chapple got the loss. He pitched five innings, recorded ten strikeouts, but gave up all seven of the Eagles’ runs on nine hits. Valentin Cerna Jr. finished 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Eagles.

Second game: LSU-Shreveport 4, Oregon Tech 1. The Owls managed only four hits against the #5-ranked Pilots (5-1 coming into this game), and the only run they scored was unearned. The Pilots got the winning run in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI single by Nathaniel de la Cruz (transfer from Everett CC). They added two runs in the fifth with a two-RBI single by Vantrel Reed, and led 4-0. The Owls ended the shutout in the top of the fifth when Korrey Siracusa came home when Matthew Ortiz reached on an error. There was only one out at that point, and Tyler Horner walked to put runners on first and second. However, the next batter, Julien Jones, struck out on a pitch that looked high and inside, and Keanu Mizuta grounded out to end the last threat the Owls had.

Pilots starter A.J. Fritz got the win, allowed three hits over four innings. Owls ace Patrick Arman got the loss, pitched five innings, allowed all four runs on seven hits, struck out four, walked three. Alex Rodriguez pitched a three-up three-down sixth inning, struck out one. Jones got two hits, and Siracusa hit a double.