PHOTO GALLERY (Buy These Photos)
Jordyn Kurtz (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) and
Jessica Flores (Corning, Calif./Corning) shut down the Northwest Christian offense as Southern Oregon moved into second place in the Cascade Conference standings by themselves with a sweep of Northwest Christian today at University Field.
The Raiders won the opener 4-1 and the nightcap 6-1.
Southern Oregon improved to 10-11 overall and 7-3 in conference play. The Raiders travel to first place Oregon Tech Wednesday. Northwest Christian dropped to 7-17 overall and 1-9 in conference action.
Kurtz continued her dominating pitching during conference play with another complete game victory. Kurtz struck out seven and allowed just three hits and only one unearned run in the opener.
Rayna Okimoto (Honolulu, Hawaii/Aiea) got the SOU offense on the board in the second with a double. Okimoto then moved to third on a passed ball and then scored on an error.
In the sixth with the score tied at 1-1, Okimoto drove in
Melissa Corn (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista) with a double to take the lead for good. Okimoto and
Danielle Batson (Pateros, Wash./Pateros) scored on a triple by
Irene Barrantes (Dos Palos, Calif./Dos Palos) for a 4-1 lead and Kurtz took care of the rest.
Okimoto went 3-for-3 for the Raiders in the opener and
Sarah Wharton (Ontario, Ore./Ontario) had two singles.
Kurtz is now 4-1 with a 0.82 ERA in conference play. She has also struck out 33 and walked just six.
For a team that has been searching for a quality start in the second game of a doubleheader for the last couple weeks, Flores' performance showed up just in time.
The sophomore allowed just three hits (two of those in the seventh inning) and only one earned run to pick up her second win of the year.
The SOU offense broke open the game in the bottom of the third inning with singles by Wharton,
Brooke Springer (Omak, Wash./Omak) and Corn and a triple by
Katie Moy (Oceanside, Calif./Vista) for a 4-0 lead. SOU added a pair of un-earned runs in the fifth inning.
Springer, Corn and Moy all had two hits for the Raiders.