Rayna Okimoto celebrates after her second home run of the day.
SOU's Bats Come Alive In Sweep
The Southern Oregon offense came away with 23 hits and scored a key Cascade Conference sweep of College of Idaho today at University Field.
The Raiders had three home runs in the opener for an 8-2 victory and then took advantage of five errors for an 11-3 victory in six innings in the nightcap.
The victory lifted SOU to 14-15 overall and 11-7 in conference play and right in the middle of the league playoff race. College of Idaho dropped to 21-13 overall and 11-7 in conference. The two teams are tied for third and just a half-game back of Corban (10-6) for second place.
SOU hosts Eastern Oregon tomorrow at 11 a.m.
In the opener, College of Idaho jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly and the lead held until the fourth when SOU's bats came alive.
Freshman Melissa Corn put the Raiders up 3-1 with a shot over the wall in center. After the Coyotes cut the lead to 3-2, sophomore Rayna Okimoto gave the Raiders some breathing room with a home run over the wall in center and a 4-2 lead.
In the sixth, Katie Moy doubled home Sarah Wharton and then Okimoto connected again with a laser well over the wall in left for an 8-2 lead.
That was more then enough for SOU starter Jordyn Kurtz.
Kurtz held the College of Idaho offense to five hits and struck out three.
Irene Barrantes and Wharton had three hits for the Raiders, while Moy and Okimoto both had two hits.
Kalie Kurdy had two hits for the Coyotes.
In the second game, Emily Matekel's single and two base error helped SOU take a 1-0 lead after three innings.
In the fifth inning, Okimoto and Barrantes had a single and double to helped the Raiders take advantage of two errors and lead 5-0.
The Coyotes came back in the sixth inning and scored three runs, helped by back-to-back-back doubles by Nickayla Skinner, Britney Croner and Caylin Lepire.
But SOU put an end to the game in the bottom of the frame. Corn, Matekel, Karlie Stephens, Moy and Julia Willison all had base hits and Okimoto ended the game with a three-run double.
Okimoto and Matekel both had two hits for SOU and Okimoto finished the game with five RBI. For the afternoon, Okimoto had nine RBI.
Jessica Flores and Stephens combined to limit the Coyotes to seven hits and struck out three.