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A shoulder to lean on photo by Andrew Mariman SOU pitcher is repeatedly called upon to lead Raiders By Tim Trower ASHLAND � Let�s see, massive consumption, limited resources. Can you say energy crisis? Southern Oregon has reason to fear a Brownout. Were it not for admirable reserve and a dramatic change this week in the game-after-game climate, disaster declaration might be required. But before panic takes hold, understand we�re talking here about Southern Oregon softball . And the sapping of power wouldn�t extend to lights, toasters and televisions, only to the appendage that supplies the Raiders� their go-juice: Brandi Brown�s right arm. "Gosh!" exclaimed the Raider sophomore after hearing the numbers she�s compiled click by like those on a meter. "Have we played that many games?" Not only has Southern Oregon played 43 games (23-20, 5-10 Cascade Conference), but Brown has pitched in 37 of them, starting all but one. "Her contribution to this team is overwhelming," says coach James Gravelle. To wit, Brown leads the conference in: Innings pitched: with 226, or 66 more than No. 2 on the list and 110 more than No. 4. Strikeouts: with 195. No. 2 has 138, No. 3 has 63. Wins: with 21 (against 14 losses), which is four better than No. 2 and double what anyone else has. Many of her staggering stats are so merely because of her voluminous role. But other numbers lend credence to Gravelle�s contention that Brown is "one of the best pitchers in the Northwest, and possibly the country, when she�s fresh." Her ERA of 1.64 is second in the conference, and opposing batters are hitting only .203 against her, which is tied for the league lead. For good measure, she has a .325 batting average, second on the team and 10th in the conference. It�s because of Brown that Southern Oregon, which is coming off a potentially disastrous weekend series, remains hopeful of a regional tournament berth as it enters its final three conference games against No. 19 Oregon Tech. The Owls have won all three meetings between the teams, but two of them went extra innings. Brown, after starting 11 games in 10 days, will have had nearly a week off prior to the big series with OIT. "It�s definitely taken a big toll," she says of her spring workload. "My body could probably use the break. These couple of days off are really good for me." SOU has lost four of its last five games, and three of them came last weekend against Concordia. Brown was defeated 8-6 on Saturday and 3-1 on Sunday. In between, the Raiders� No. 2 pitcher, Tasha Ford, was beaten 8-4. While Brown showed signs of fatigue, there were other factors at play. For instance, the two teams have played often enough that hitters have become familiar with Brown. And defense, a consistently strong suit for the Raiders earlier, became an Achilles� heel as they booted too many opportunities. Gravelle admits Brown was tired. "The mind-set was there," he says, "but fatigue set in. Still, I�d take her over any pitcher in the Northwest at this time." The most obvious signs of trouble were when Brown missed spots she usually hits and when her riseball leveled off and was enticing to hitters. All the while, Brown was running out of ways to attack the hitters. The first couple of at-bats, Brown and catcher Erin Eastman have the hitters� numbers. After seven or eight turns in a series, the hitters no longer chase the outside pitch or fall for the riseball. "You can only fool them so many times," says Brown, who considers her changeup � off a 65 mph fastball � her best pitch. Meanwhile, the Raiders had at least two errors six times over the past 10 games, and three or more on four occasions. That Brown has had to shoulder so much wasn�t planned. SOU had another No. 2 hurler in the preseason, but she left the team. Ford, a freshman from Glendale who is still developing, was thrust into action. Adding pitching depth is a must by next year, says Gravelle. There is some irony here in that Brown, who graduated from Colton High School in 1998, came to SOU burnt out on softball and fully aware the school didn�t then have a program. "I had some schools looking at me," she says, "but I didn�t want to play." It had become a year-round sport � she even practiced pitching while playing basketball. "There was no break," says Brown. The same year she arrived here, Gravelle started a program, first as a club sport, then playing a JV schedule. Given it was a seasonal endeavor, Brown tried out. "She walked into our meeting and said, �I�m a pitcher,�" recalls the coach. "When she threw her first pitch, I knew something special was about to happen to us." It still is happening. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.