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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels May 3, 2004 Raiders close in on CC title By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings The Southern Oregon University softball team got the Cascade Conference sweep it's been waiting for and took a major step toward conference supremacy in the process. The 24th-ranked Raiders, who entered the day having split five straight league doubleheaders, belted 29 hits in two games to beat Albertson 6-3 and 9-1, clinching no worse than a tie for the conference championship Sunday at University Field. SOU (34-10, 16-5 CC) can secure its second straight league title with one more win or a loss by second-place Western Baptist (20-19, 10-9). The Warriors have six more league games, while the Raiders have four, including next Saturday's regular-season finale at home against the Warriors. "It was really important for us to come out and win both of the games," said Raider sophomore Amy Williams, who was 5-for-6 on the day with three RBIs. "We've been having a little bit of trouble coming out in the second game and just securing that win, but to come out this time and eight-run them in the second game was just great. Everyone came together, everyone was hitting the ball, our defense came together. Yeah, it feels great to actually win that game." Southern held fast to its four-game lead in the loss column by racking up 26 singles and three doubles against the cellar-dwelling Coyotes (10-31, 4-19). In Game 1, the Raiders stormed back from a 3-0 deficit. After tying the game on Beth Morrill's RBI double in the fourth, SOU seized the game with a sixth-inning rally highlighted by Leann Foster's two-run double off the left field wall. Raider starter Miranda Gillaspie allowed eight hits and struck out five over seven innings to improve her league-best season record to 19-5. None of Albertson's runs were earned, thanks to a Raider defense that booted five errors in the first two innings. Game 2 was all SOU. Already ahead 1-0, the Raiders added two runs in the fourth, three in the fifth and three more in the sixth to win early by the eight-run mercy rule. Sophomore second-baseman Megan Rock doubled in two runs and scored on a throwing error to end the game with nobody out in the sixth. Raider sophomore Amanda Cregan allowed just three hits in six solid innings to improve to 10-4. Almost everybody on SOU's roster came through at the plate. Besides Williams' hitting exhibition in the cleanup spot, junior leadoff hitter Haley Varley went 5-for-7 with three runs scored, junior Kara Ray was 4-for-7 with two runs scored and Foster went 4-for-7 with four RBIs and two runs scored. "With this momentum, hopefully it can carry us into next weekend and help us to definitely sweep next weekend," Foster said. The Raiders continue their eight-game homestand Friday against Concordia. With the Region I playoffs just around the corner - the tournament is May 13-14 in Portland - SOU first-year coach Larry Binney says his team is almost ready. "We just need to have a good week of practice and we want to sweep four games this coming weekend to have some momentum going into the playoffs," he said. "I think it's really important how we practice and how we play this week." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams