ASHLAND – Two streaking teams stayed on opposite trajectories Saturday afternoon as 18th-ranked Southern Oregon completed a four-game sweep of British Columbia in two wins shortened by the mercy rule – 8-0 in five innings and 8-0 in six.
The first-place Raiders (25-4 overall, 11-1 Cascade Conference) ran their winning streak to 13 games. The Thunderbirds (1-16, 0-9) have lost 15 straight.
Freshman pitchers Gabby Sandoval and Lexie Raasch threw complete games for the Raiders, giving the team three consecutive shutouts for the first time since 2003. Sandoval (11-3) struck out five with one walk in a two-hitter and only let one Thunderbird get past first base. Raasch (3-0), making her second career start, scattered three singles with two strikeouts and two walks and held UBC hitless over the final four innings.
Emma Tuson (0-4) and
Darrian Gerard (0-1) took the losses in games one and two, respectively.
In Game 1 – the CCC counter of the twin bill – Karlee Coughlin went 3-for-3 with a triple, a double and three runs scored for Southern Oregon.Rebecca Velasquez's single in the first and Abigail Lund's squeeze bunt in the second put the Raiders up 2-0, and Randall doubled the lead in the fourth with a two-run double to right field.
Later in the fourth, Harlee Donovan hit a single for her team-leading 25th RBI and Velasquez added a two-run liner to left. Aaliyah Oliver pulled a single down the first-base line to score Coughlin and end the game in the fifth.
Lexie Breinnes and
Frances Ramsay were the only 'Birds to manage base hits in the contest.
The Raiders also opened up Game 2 early with three runs in the first and two in the second.
Sydney Brown recorded a base hit and drew a walk for the 'Birds, but couldn't cross home plate to get UBC on the scoreboard.
The Thunderbirds committed five errors in the game that cost them seven unearned runs.
