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Raiders stay in title hunt Wire Reports PORTLAND - The 18th-ranked Southern Oregon University softball team posted a come-from-behind nail-biter and a blowout in a 2-1 and 9-0 Cascade Collegiate Conference sweep of Concordia University at Delta Park on Saturday. The wins allowed SOU (23-8 overall, 7-3 CCC) to keep pace with Oregon Tech for first-place in the five-team league title chase. SOU trailed 1-nil and had mustered only three hits off Cav ace Missi Smith before the rallying for two runs off reliever Marlena Weaver in the seventh inning. Molly Pendergast drilled a pinch-hit single and stole a base, and freshman outfielder Shauna Wade and sophomore second baseman Haley Varley laced RBI singles. The Raiders take on the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers next, in a Saturday CCC doubleheader that's scheduled to begin at noon, at University Field. SOU Track & Field At Davis, Calif., the Southern Oregon University men's and women's track teams established several season's best marks during the Woody Wilson Relays Saturday. Raider All-American Megan Hueberger was fourth in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles in a season-best time of 1 minute, 4.55 seconds. The men's 4x400 relay team of Ken Hiler, Danny Hanes, Travis Floeck, Jeremy Klegseth finished third with a season best 3:19.48. In the women's 4x100 relay, the Raider squad of Rachel Hinze, Kendra McGrath, Heuberger, Andrea Eide took fifth in a season-best 49.54. Keith Lawson was third in the triple jump with an effort of 45-9 3/4. Travis Floeck set a personal record in the 800 (1:55.42) and placed seventh. Joe Sheire was fifth in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles and seventh in the 110-meter high hurdles. The SOU tracksters next will be at the University of Oregon Invitational, Saturday in Eugene. AHS Softball At Roseburg, Brook Charles and Kim Posey on Saturday combined for a perfect game to beat Ashland 1-0 in the opener and Roseburg completed the Southern Oregon Conference sweep with another shutout, 6-0, in the nightcap. Charles started Game 1, striking out three before leaving in the game in the third because of illness. Posey came in and shut the door on the Grizzlies (2-13 overall, 0-6 SOC), striking out six, en route to perfection. Roseburg (5-7 overall, 2-4 SOC) shortstop Ali Paz went 2-for-4 for the Indians, who scored their lone run in the third. In Game 2, Laura Mitchell, Shelly Hanson and Paz had RBI's. For the Grizzlies, senior Megan Beugli took the loss in the opener despite allowing just seven hits in a complete-game effort, and sophomore Aimee Jeska was tagged with the Game 2 loss after giving up six hits in six innings. Ashland's defense committed six errors - two in Game 1 and four in Game 2 - as the Grizzlies lost for the seventh and eighth straight time. The Grizzlies head to Eagle Point next for another Saturday SOC doubleheader. AHS Boys Golf At Grants Pass, Sheldon's Ted Whitney fired a 2-over-par 74 at the Grants Pass Golf Course Saturday and the Irish posted a 308 team score, but it wasn't enough to unseat Roseburg in the two-day Southern Oregon Invitational Tournament. The Indians took a 15-stroke lead into final day and won with a two-day total of 631. Sheldon was second at 633 and North Medford finished third with a score of 644. Ashland finished ninth in the 10-team event with a team score of 731. Roseburg's Marc Goodell shot 77 Friday at the Rogue Valley Country Club and followed it up with a 77 at Grants Pass to finish second with a score of 154. Teammate Pat Jovin came in at 155 to tie for third with North Medford's Mike Berry, who also finished at 155. Jay Kirkwood of Grants Pass tied for fifth at 156. Rylan Wood of Crater shot 78 on the second day to finish in eighth at 158. Mark Palotai of Roseburg and Mike Cox from South Medford finished ninth and 10th, respectively. The Grizzlies were led by Bob Tucker and Jeff Skinner, who finished the event in 85 and 86 strokes, respectively. Also for Ashland, Kit Seuleaan fired a 93, Greg Harvey shot a 94 and William Murphy came in at 103. The Grizzlies continue their regular season April 28 in an all-SOC meet at Roseburg. AHS Boys Tennis Ashland did not lose a set in a 9-0 Southern Oregon Conference thrashing of Grants Pass, Saturday at Hunter Park. The win improved Ashland to 5-0 in the SOC. The Grizzlies' top three singles players - Michael James, Shane Lloyd and Jonathon Willing - all posted love victories in the first set of their respective matches. The Ashland No. 4 doubles team of Alain Parades and Cory Lescher remained undefeated on the season with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Mike Heater and Neal Westfall. Ashland will host Klamath Union in another SOC dual, Thursday at Hunter Park. AHS Girls Tennis At Grants Pass, Southern Oregon Conference-leading Ashland (4-0 SOC) made short work of Grants Pass in an impressive 9-0 road win Saturday. Ashland's Briana Lescher held off Kelly Hamlyn 7-6 (4), 6-2 to win one of the most competitive matches of the day. Grants Pass is now 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the SOC. AHS Track & Field At Central Point, Jeff Olsen and Andy Wright held their own against some of the best distance runners in the state, Saturday at the 33rd annual Crater Classic. Olsen finished fourth in the 1,500-meter run, crossing the finish line in 4 minutes, 6.68 seconds, while Wright took fifth in the 3,000 in 9:07.33. Those performances helped Ashland take 18th place in the 22-team event. The entire Grizz track and field team will face both Roseburg and South Medford Tuesday in a Southern Oregon Conference three-way to be held at Roseburg. 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