Southern Oregon, Corban Split Doubleheader
ASHLAND, Ore. -- Standings in the Cascade Conference were sure to change as the top four teams meet this weekend. After Friday games, Southern Oregon, Corban and Concordia are separated by just three games for two playoff spots.
At Ashland, Corban took a three- game winning streak aginst the Raiders and made it four in a row winning game one of a doubleheader 4-2. However, SOU came back to win a 14-11 slugfest in game two. The split leaves SOU with a 9-7 conference record (11-17 overall) and Corban's Warriors with a 9-9 league records (12-17 overall). Corban trails SOU by two games for the final playoff spot.
Also today, Oregon Tech swept Concordia winning 4-3 and 12-2. OIT leads the league while Concordia, whom SOU plays Saturday, is one game ahead of the Raiders for the second playoff spot.
Game 1
This was a close game throughout and not decided until the final out as SOU loaded the bases with nobody out but couldn't score and lost to Corban 4-2 in Game 1.
Corban broke a 0-0 tie in the third jumping on pitcher Alicia Caudill. Megan Gaylord singled and stole second. Jennifer Killaer then made a one out single and also stole second base. With Gaylord on third and Killaer on second the first of three SOU errors allowed both runs to score and a 2-0 Corban lead.
SOU got one back in the bottom of the third. A single by Karla Alvarez started things off. Caudill was hit by a pitch, advancing Alvarez to second. She scored on a single by Bailey Price and the lead was cut to 2-1.
Corban increased its lead in the fourth when Kacie Emerick singled and then was sacrificed to second. She would score on a single by Gaylord and Corban led 3-1.
The Warriors added a run in the fifth when Lindsay Batey singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. She went to third on a single by Josie Strange and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Karlee Sisler. Corban led 4-1.
SOU would make a game of it in the bottom of the seventh. Corban pitcher Erin Sailors gave up a pinch hit single to Christina Archambault and followed it by hitting a batter. Ricci Coulas singled and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Christa Simon singled scoring one run making the score 4-2 Corban. Still nobody was out and the bases loaded. Baily Price popped out to first base, and Megan Laughlin gave it a ride to the fence but the ball was chased down by the center fielder for out number three and the game ended with three runners stranged on base and SOU lost by two.
Sailors was the winning pitcher, Caudill took the loss.
Game 2
In contrast to the first game, which was a pitching dual with having to be manufactured any way they could. This one was a slugfest with most of the runs being scored in the first three innings. On the mound was Joelle Rickeman for SOU and Jennifer Kollaer for Corban.
Things got interesting early as both teams scored two runs in the first inning. Corban took a 6-2 lead in the second with a Sirana Guest single, a walk to Gaylord and a triple by Jessie Jones scoring two runs. The Warriors weren't done yet,. Kollaer singled, scoring Jones, then Batey doubled moving Kollaer to third. She scored on a single by Strange and it was 6-2 Corban.
But SOU put together its best offensive inning of the season in the bottom of the second scoring nine times and sending 14 batters to the plate against Kollaer.
Riekeman doubled, Alvarez singled as did Caudill and one run was in. Simon singled scoring two more runs and the lead was cut to 6-5.
Megan Laughlin would double in two more runs giving SOU its first lead at 7-6. An error by the first baseman would keep the inning going as Caudill would score two more runners with an RBI single scoring both Riekeman and Sanitos and the Raiders led 11-6 after two innings.
Corban cut the lead to 11-8 with two runs in the third whenJennifer Jessica Pierce doubled, Childers singled. Pierce went to third. She scored on a ground out by Gaylord and another run would score on a Jessie Jones single.
SOU added three more in the third inning when Simon doubled, Laughlin singled moving Simon to third. She scored on a passed ball. Stratton then singled and Sanitos reached on an error that scored Laughlin. Finally, Riekeman singled scoring Stratten and SOU led 14-8. Corban made a pitching change, in came Karlee Sisler for Killaer and she shut SOU down the rest of the game.
Corban made a run of it scoring two in the sixth when Batey singled, Sisler doubled and both scored on a single by Pierce. 14-11 was the score but neither team scored again. In the 7th Corban had two runners on base but Batey filed out to right field to end the game.
Riekeman was the winning pitcher 5-9, while Kollaer took the loss, although Sislere did an excellent job in relief.
Corban plays at Oregon Tech Saturday at noon. Concordia plays SOU at 11 a.m. at University Field. SOU has eight games remaining in the regular season. Playoff seeding will be a bit clearer after Saturday's games.