ASHLAND – A near-disastrous Cascade Conference-opening weekend flipped in a hurry for top-ranked Southern Oregon with back-to-back wins against No. 3 Eastern Oregon on Saturday afternoon, 5-4 and 6-1.
After dropping both ends of Friday's doubleheader, the Raiders trailed 4-3 in the third and final CCC counter of the series but triumphed at Laurel Park for the first time in walk-off fashion as their first five batters in the bottom of the seventh reached base.
Lexi Ramirez then pitched a complete-game gem in the non-conference finale, making SOU's overall record 16-6.
Brooke Nordahl's third-inning solo home run had the Raiders up 3-0 in Game 1 before the Mountaineers (11-3, 2-1 CCC) went in front. In the fourth inning, their shortstop, Raygun Klippert, hit a bases-loaded triple to tie the contest and came in moments later as the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
Following a 30-minute rain delay, pinch-hitters fueled SOU's seventh-inning rally, starting with
Glory Pistole. She led off with a double down the right-field line and her pinch-runner,
Michelle Hara, scored the tying run when
Lexi Ramirez lined a single.
Carlee Strand singled and
Kalea Thomas walked to load the bases for
Vanessa Lang, who poked a hit through the right side to win it.
Ayla Davies earned the decision, going all seven innings to improve to 9-3. Ramirez went 2-for-3 in the contest, also smoking an RBI double in the second inning.
Ramirez, a junior transfer, then took the circle in Game 2, scattering six hits and striking out five with two walks.
Tied 1-1 in the third inning,
Ari Williams gapped a two-run double and SOU's next batter,
Elysia Duarte, chased her home with a single. Lang opened up the game with a two-run single in the fourth.
Williams went 2-for-3. Nordahl reached twice and scored once, and CiCi Kim went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
The wins were SOU's sixth and seventh against Top 25 opponents this month.
The Raiders are on the road next weekend for a four-game series at College of Idaho. They return to Ashland on March 13-14 to host British Columbia.
