Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ASHLAND – Just in time for Cascade Conference competition, at least the Southern Oregon University softball team's bats showed up Friday afternoon at University Field.

The Raiders scored more runs in a doubleheader against Northwest Christian than they had in their other eight games combined, the winning run included in the eighth inning of an 8-7 Game 1 decision. Some run-prevention woes caught up with SOU in the second game, though, and the Beacons scored nine unanswered to win 9-4.

Three errors bit the Raiders in the nightcap, but they ducked the same fate in the opener despite four errors.

With the bases loaded and none out in the first extra inning of Game 1, Alexa Gonzalez (Menifee, Calif./Heritage) grounded to shortstop and Cheyenne Bricker (Bieber, Calif./Big Valley) beat the throw home to snap a four-game losing streak for the Raiders (2-8, 1-1) and give them their 14^th straight win over NCU (2-11, 1-1).

Tyler Burke (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood), Sulie Augustine (Portland, Ore./Central Catholic) and Julia Willison (Reno, Nevada/McQueen) had three hits apiece in the win. The Raiders led 3-0 after Augustine hit and RBI double and an RBI triple, but the Beacons grabbed the lead right back in the fourth, 4-3, thanks to Bre Johnson's three-run triple and a couple of SOU errors.

Three Raider run-scoring hits put them back on top in the bottom of the inning  – Megan Scherer (Oakland, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd)'s two-run double and singles by Burke and Gonzalez. It wasn't until the seventh that NCU pushed across two runs to tie. The inning started with a couple of bunt singles and a fielding error, and Jill Suratt's two-out single was the equalizer.

SOU had a little luck of its own to set up Gonzalez, loading the bases on a fielding error, a fielder's choice and an infield single.

In Game 2, Parker Bonife's legitimate pop gave the Beacons a split. She went the other way with a towering three-run homer to start a six-run fourth inning, then added insurance in the seventh with a two-run single. Laynee Bevans' two-run triple in the fourth put NCU up for good, 5-4.

After scoring four runs in the first, all of which were unearned, SOU's early advantage was erased. Katie Walker blanked the Raiders over her final six innings, allowing seven hits, walking one and striking out one in the complete game.

Willison went 3-for-4 again as she and Scherer cashed in on NCU's three first-inning errors with RBI singles.

Willison, a senior catcher, now has eight hits in her last 11 at-bats. Augustine's three hits to start the first game gave her hits in six straight at-bats dating back to last Saturday's games against Simpson.

SOU's Brianne Craig (Rialto, Calif./Etiwanda H.S.) allowed one earned run in 3 2/3 innings of relief to earn the Game 1 win. The Raider staff was supported with 22 hits but had to manage eight unearned runs on the day.

The Raiders play at 11 a.m. on Saturday against 18^th-ranked Corban (13-7), which was swept Friday at 25^th-ranked Oregon Tech. The Beacons will visit the Owls.