ASHLAND, Ore. – No. 5 Southern Oregon swept a doubleheader against No. 8 College of Idaho, 4-2 (game one) and 6-4 (game two) in a matchup of top 10 teams on Friday.
The Raiders (26-6, 15-3 CCC) won game one in walk-off fashion on a two-run home run by Deja Acosta, who ended a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the seventh. In the nightcap, Acosta scored three times and drove in another in a 6-4 win as host SOU scored four times in the fourth inning to break open a 2-1 game en route to the 6-4 win in the nightcap.
College of Idaho (32-5, 17-5 CCC) had eight hits in each game of the doubleheader. Leadoff batter
Haley Loffer had two hits in each contest in the loss to pace an offense. The Yotes stranded 10 runners on base in the game one loss and five in the game two defeat.
Game 1
Southern Oregon ended a scoreless contest with two runs in the bottom of the sixth before College of Idaho plated two of its own in the top of the seventh to tie the game. With the game tied at 2, with two out, Acosta hit the game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh.
College of Idaho starting pitcher
Katelyn Wilfert went 6.2 innings, allowing just six hits, four runs (all earned) for just her second loss of the season to fall to 15-2. Seven-different Yotes had a hit with Loffer pacing the team with two.
Hannah McNerney and
Tanner Higgins each had a RBI in the loss.
Southern Oregon was led by a two-hit game each from Carly Williams, who was the winning pitcher as she raised her record to 12-3 and Acosta.
To tie the game in the seventh, McNerney got the first run across the plate when she was hit by a pitch with one out. Then, next, with the bases still loaded a sacrifice fly by Higgins tied the game with a sacrifice fly.
In the Raiders half of the seventh, a one-out single by Stripling started the threat. Then after a fielder's choice kept the winning run on base but it also set the stage for the game-winning heroics by Acosta.
Game 2
Southern Oregon stretched a 2-1 lead to 6-1 with a four-run fourth inning as they held off a late rally by College of Idaho, who scored a run in each of the final three innings of the 6-4 win.
Lena Zahniser for College of Idaho hit her first career home run in the second inning to tie the game at 1 and
Haley Loffer had two more hits in the loss.
Acosta picked up where she left off from game one with three runs scored with a hit and RBI to go along with two walks to lead SOU in the win.
College of Idaho had the tying run at the plate in the top of the seventh in the loss. Plus, the Yotes stranded a base runner in each of the final four innings in the contest. The four-run fourth inning for the Raiders came on five hits on its way to the win.
The two teams wrap up the weekend series with another doubleheader on Saturday. The second game of the doubleheader is a non-conference matchup.
