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Raiders open with impressive sweep By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings The Brown-outs have started already and the Southern Oregon University softball team looks every bit as good as its No. 18 national ranking. Senior all-star pitcher Brandi Brown threw eight scoreless innings and the Raider offense produced 24 hits and 17 runs in a season-opening doubleheader sweep of Northwest Christian Wednesday afternoon at University field. Southern blasted the Crusaders 8-0 and 9-0 in a pair of games shortened to five innings by the eight-run mercy rule. Afterward, SOU coach James Gravelle called Brown one of the best pitchers in the nation, but was even more excited about his team's scoring potential. "Our short game right now, bunting and slapping and baserunning and stealing, is the best it's ever been," said Gravelle, who has coached the team since its intercollegiate opener two years ago. "We're laying down bunts, we're stealing bases, and it's just changed the whole aspect of our game from last year and the year before. If we get people on base, we're going to score some runs." In Game 1, senior third baseman Angie Chaplin ignited a three-run first inning with a two-run triple, while sophomore Haley Varley, who finished the day 7-for-8, added four singles in as many at bats and scored three runs. Brown retired all nine batters she faced in three innings on the mound and hammered a 240-foot home run over the left field fence in the second frame. In the nightcap, Brown captured her 49th career victory and recorded her 30th complete game with a six-strikeout, two-hit performance; and Varley's no-out, bases-loaded double in the bottom of the fifth clinched the sweep. "I think I did all right," said Brown, who finished with as many hits (2-for-3) as she allowed. "I wasn't really hitting as many pitches as I should have been - wasn't hitting my spots - but our team, we played fairly decent. We made the routine plays we needed to and we're coming together." The Raiders have relied heavily on Brown over the past two years, and almost rode her bazooka arm all the way to an NAIA national playoff berth. Gravelle said Brown may be even better this year, but said the team won't be near as dependent upon its star from Colton. "Brandi's an exception throughout softball at this level," Gravelle said. "I don't want to put her on a pedestal, but it's a sense of she's one of the best there is at this level and she's going to win us some games. And when she's not on, pitching wise, our defense is going to win us some games. But, the thing is, it's not the Brandi Brown show. It's our show together. We win together, we lose together." Brown looked as dominating as ever Wednesday, striking out three of the nine batters she faced in Game 1 and six of the 17 hitters she faced in Game 2. Some were sent packing when they couldn't catch up to her smoking fastball, and some were fooled by her perfectly timed change up. One particularly nasty changeup had the Northwest Christian batter so far out in front, even the Crusaders' bench enjoyed a good laugh. "Brandi's an exceptional pitcher that gets in batters' heads and throws pitches that they don't expect," Gravelle said. "That's what makes her so good, and mentally, physically, she is stronger than she has been in the last three or four years here." Junior first baseman Lisa Aitchison went 4-for-4 with two walks during the twin bill, while outfielders Seanna Doyel and Kendra Kohler finished 3-for-6. NCC (2-6) mustered a grand total of three hits in 10 innings against Brown and Doyel, who pitched the last two innings of the opener. Besides the seven hits, Varley led the Raiders with four RBI's, a double and a stolen base. "Varley is our most fundamentally sound hitter and an ideal leadoff batter," Gravelle said. "She's a tough out to get, and she set the table extremely well in both games." LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -