Lauren Keel picked up the SOU win in the second game of a double header against Concordia on Friday.
SOU Responds for CU Split
BOX SCORES -- GAME 1 : GAME 2
CLACKAMAS, Ore.— After falling 9-0 to Concordia in the opener, Southern Oregon battled back to defeat the Cavaliers 5-3 for a Cascade Collegiate Conference softball split held at Hood View Park on Friday.
With the results, Concordia, ranked No. 4 in the NAIA, moved to 30-4 on the season and 19-3 in CCC action while SOU ended the day with a 16-22 overall record and a 12-12 mark in conference play.
Having already clinched the top spot in the conference tournament, Concordia will close its regular season by hosting Oregon Tech (25-23, 12-10 CCC) on Sunday. Oregon Tech would clinch the third and final playoff spot with one win over the Cavaliers. Corban (22-21, 14-8 CCC) has clinched the No. 2 position in the tournament.
SOU starter Karri Johnson got out of a first-inning jam with a harmless fly to center followed by a grounder to third and generated a strikeout to escape a bases-loaded threat in the third before the Cavs plated a pair of runs in the fourth to break the scoreless tie.
A lead-off walk quickly came back to haunt the Raiders as Mallory Callahan turned on a one-out home run for a 2-0 Cavalier lead.
After facing three batters in the fifth with the help of a double play turned by the Raider defense, Johnson ran into trouble again in the sixth inning.
Concordia batted around with three hits, two walks and a hit batter to score seven runs in the final frame. After registering two outs to open the inning, the next seven CU batters reached safely, culminating in a walk-off grand slam by Concordia catcher Kyndell Andrews. Prior to the final blast, Ali Paz, Cameron Way and Tina Garcia each produced an RBI in their at bat.
With the offense rolling, Renee Santos notched 10 strikeouts in six innings of work for her seventh shutout of the season. Santos allowed just one hit, a single to left in the second and faced just two over the minimum. SOU managed a runner in the third by way of an error but did not get a player to second base in the ballgame as Santos retired the side in order on four occasions including the final three frames as she retired the final 11 batters she faced.
The Cavs recorded eight hits with Paz leading the way with a 3-for-3 performance. Callahan finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
In the second game of the day, Concordia struck for a single run in the second on a Courtney Wooden homer and two more in the third as Paz connected on a shot over the fence with Kayla Vickaryous on base.
The three early runs would be all the Cavs would register as the Raiders were able to tie the game with three runs in the fifth and take the lead in the sixth.
After being stymied through the first four innings, Jessica Flores got the Raiders on the board with a solo shot to lead off the fifth. Bailey Price, coming in as a pinch hitter, followed Flores by drawing a walk. In the next at bat, Karla Alvarez darted a single through the left side to set up Kathryn Moy, who pounced for a two-run single to center to nod the game at 3-3.
CU starter Danielle Pulfrey ended the attack with a strikeout and a grounder second but SOU maintained its momentum in the next stanza as a Sarah Wharton smashed a two-run homer to give the Raiders its first lead of the day.
Holding the lead, SOU starter Lauren Keel allowed just one baserunner in the final two frames to preserve the win, finishing with two strikeouts while allowing one walk in the complete-game performance.
The Cavs outhit the Raiders 7-6 with Vickaryous and Way each finishing 2-for-3. Six different players combined for the SOU hit total.