Julia Willison hit two home runs, including a walk-off homer in the second game
SOU Sweeps Corban 8-4, 10-0
ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon softball team opened the 2012 Cascade Collegiate Conference season with a pair of victories over No. 16 Corban, sweeping the Warriors 8-4 and 10-0 in a Saturday doubleheader at University Field.
Southern Oregon improves to 12-6 overall and 2-0 in conference play, while Corban falls to 17-7 overall and 2-4 in the CCC. The Raiders travel to Portland on Monday for a conference doubleheader with Concordia before returning home to host No. 5 Oregon Tech on Tuesday. Corban will face Eastern Oregon in a doubleheader on Wednesday.
Southern Oregon 8, Corban 4
BOX SCORE
The Raiders scored five runs in the first and Jordyn Kurtz picked up the complete-game victory for SOU. Amy Greenough took the loss for the Warriors, yielding seven earned runs on nine hits in three innings pitched.
Julia Willison and Katie Moy each tallied three hits for the Raiders, with Willison driving in five runs on a double and a home run. Irene Barrantes and Stephanie Vandenbusch each added a pair of hits in the win, while Liane Dehart, Stephanie Nippert and Erica Fitzgerald each finished with two hits for Corban.
Kara Kelsey opened the first with an infield single and Melissa Corn sacrificed her to second. Moy doubled to right center to bring home the first run, and she advanced to third on Kurtz’s single to left. With two outs, Vandenbusch doubled to right and Willison followed with a two-run double. Sierra Anderson hit a single to right to score Willison with the Raiders’ fifth run of the inning.
Corban got on the board in the third, as Abbie Pynch hit a home run to left center. The Raiders responded with two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Barrantes singled to short and scored on Willison’s homer to left.
The Warriors got another home run in the fourth, this one off the bat of Lounette Jackson. Southern Oregon added a run in the fifth as Barrantes, Vandenbusch and Willison hit consecutive singles. Corban scored the final two runs of the game when Stephanie Nippert hammered a home run to left.
Southern Oregon 10, Corban 0 (5)
BOX SCORE
Karlie Stephens pitched a five-hit shutout, and the Raiders scored six runs in the third inning and won it on a walk-off homer by Willison. Chelsea Schriber gave up seven runs in 2.1 innings to take the loss for the Warriors.
Willison finished with two hits and four runs batted in, including the game-winning home run. She totaled five hits in six at bats in the two games, including two homers and nine RBI. Vandenbusch and Moy each tallied a pair of hits, including a home run for each, in the second game. Rachel Conard’s two hits led Corban.
Southern Oregon opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the second. Kurtz led off with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. She reached third on a Vandenbusch single and scored on a fielder’s choice by Willison.
The Raider offense erupted for six runs on seven hits in the third. Brooke Springer began the inning with an infield single and stole second. Kelsey singled to left center and stole second to put runners on second and third with no outs. Corn brought home the inning’s first run on a sacrifice fly, and Moy followed with a two-run home run to left field.
Kurtz singled up the middle, advanced to second on an illegal pitch and reached third on a Barrantes single to second. Vandenbusch hit the Raiders’ second homer of the inning, a three-run shot to left center that put the hosts up 7-0.
Southern Oregon loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth, needing one run to clinch the win. Moy singled through the right side, stole second and advanced to third on an error. The Warriors intentionally walked Kurtz and Barrantes to load the bases, and Corban pitcher Jessica Slate snared a Vandenbusch line drive and picked off Moy at third for a double play. Willison responded with the walk-off home run to clinch the doubleheader sweep.