ASHLAND – A pair of two-hit shutouts from Southern Oregon's pitching staff and
Ari Williams' seven-RBI afternoon translated to two more run-rule victories against Bushnell, 9-0 and 9-0 in five innings apiece on Saturday at Laurel Park.
The No. 3-ranked Raiders (29-9 overall, 10-5 Cascade Conference) took their season-best winning streak to nine games, during which they have compiled a 79-5 run differential. They haven't allowed more than one run in a game since it started, matching the longest such stretch in team history, while committing just two errors compared to their opponents' 27.
Ayla Davies starred in the circle in Game 1, the third and final CCC counter of the series, and turned in her third scoreless outing in her last four starts. She allowed two hits over four innings,
Thomara Drummer threw a perfect fifth, and
Tatiana Blas banked her first career shutout with seven strikeouts in Game 2.
Williams drove in multiple runs every game of the series, finishing with 11 on the weekend. She went 2-for-3 in Game 1, including a two-run single during the Raiders' four-run third inning that broke open a scoreless game. They piled on five more in the fourth, where
Brooke Nordahl ripped an RBI double and Drummer, Williams and
Vanessa Lang hit run-scoring singles.
Avery Coffin knocked in three runs in Game 2 with a double in the first and a triple in the fourth. Williams had RBIs in all three of her plate appearances, including a two-run single in the fourth.
The Beacons (5-21, 2-10) lasted only five innings in every matchup with the Raiders, manufacturing one run. Davies upped her record to 14-5 and Blast went to 4-0.
Coffin and Williams both went 4-for-6 on the day. Lang, Nordahl and
Lexi Ramirez had two apiece, and Lang also drew two walks. The Raiders batted .442 as a team in the series.
They ended the weekend in third place, three games in the loss column behind first-place Oregon Tech. Following a bye week, they visit the Owls for a four-game set April 10-11.