ASHLAND – The No. 1-ranked Southern Oregon softball team is two wins away from matching the best start in team history after pounding Providence (Mont.) twice, 8-0 and 13-1 in five innings each, on Friday afternoon at University Field.
Senior left-fielder
Kailer Fulton went 5-for-6 and the Raiders' pitchers were sharp again as their winning streak stretched to 12 games and their record went to 23-1 overall and 8-0 in the Cascade Conference.
Freshman pitcher
Ayla Davies twirled her eighth shutout of the season with a one-hitter in Game 1. She struck out seven, didn't issue a walk, went to 14-1 and has now allowed one or no hits in five different five-plus-inning appearances.
Kennedy Kila and
Tatiana Blas combined to keep the Argos (6-11, 3-8) quiet in Game 2 – Kila with three innings of one-run ball, and Blas with two innings of no-hit relief.
SOU plated two runs in each of the first two innings and four in the fifth of the opener. Fulton went 3-for-3 with a walk,
Faith Moultrie was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, and
Sarah Kerling finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Brooke Nordahl and
Ari Williams pitched in run-scoring extra-base hits.
The Raiders turned four Providence errors into six unearned runs in Game 2. They put up a nine-spot in the second inning after a Tiffany Fuentes RBI double briefly gave the Argos a lead in the first.
Eleven different Raiders got in on their 13 hits. Fulton and
Kierstin Grotewiel both had two.
Avery Coffin and
Aubree Muxen both drove in a pair.
During their streak, the Raiders have outscored opponents 102-15 combined.
They and the Argos play two more starting at 11 a.m. Saturday.