COSTA MESA, Calif. – Sophomore pitcher Katie Machado continued a crisp opening month with six more shutout innings, helping No. 5-ranked Southern Oregon secure a split against Vanguard (Calif.) on Saturday at VU Softball Field.

The Raiders surrendered a two-run lead in the opener and lost 5-4 as Lions shortstop Lailani Mayfield drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning. Machado came to the rescue in Game 2, winning her fifth consecutive decision in a 3-0 Raiders victory.

Riley Donovan gave Machado a lead to work with by stroking a two-run single in the third. It brought home Erika Marquez and Kailer Fulton, who'd started the inning with back-to-back base hits.

The Raiders (10-3 overall) manufactured one more run in the fourth: Lauren Weinberg was hit by a pitch, pinch-runner Faith Moultrie moved into scoring position with a steal, and Trinity Santoyo's opposite-field single drove her in.

Machado, who has yet to lose in six starts, shrunk her ERA to 1.56 in her fourth complete game. She kept the slate clean despite allowing six hits and issuing three walks, and Cayla Williams came on for the save after taking over in the seventh with two on and none out.

SOU had Lions ace Brianna Williams on the ropes in Game 1, tagging her for 10 hits and four free passes. She improved to 10-1 anyway by leaving eight baserunners stranded after yielding three runs in the first and another in the second.

Trailing 4-2, the Lions (14-4) tied the game in the sixth on RBI singles from Bianca Morales and Karly Colenzo. In the seventh, Mayfield delivered after Emma Noble led off with a triple.

SOU's Rylan Austin went 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Donovan went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Phelicity Fa'aita and Sarah Kerling drove in the Raiders' other runs.

Fa'aita got the start in the circle and allowed five hits and three runs over five frames.

The Raiders open Cascade Conference play next week with a four-game series against British Columbia on Friday and Saturday.