Raiders stand two wins away from equaling best start in team history entering Saturday twin bill

ASHLAND — The No. 1-ranked Southern Oregon softball team is two wins away from matching the best start in team history after pounding Providence (Mont.) twice, 8-0 and 13-1 in five innings each, on Friday afternoon at University Field.

Senior left-fielder Kailer Fulton went 5-for-6 and the Raiders’ pitchers were sharp again as their winning streak stretched to 12 games and their record went to 23-1 overall and 8-0 in the Cascade Conference.

Freshman pitcher Ayla Davies twirled her eighth shutout of the season with a one-hitter in Game 1. She struck out seven, didn’t issue a walk, went to 14-1 and has now allowed one or no hits in five different five-plus-inning appearances. Kennedy Kila and Tatiana Blas combined to keep the Argos (6-11, 3-8) quiet in Game 2 — Kila with three innings of one-run ball, and Blas with two innings of no-hit relief.

SOU plated two runs in each of the first two innings and four in the fifth of the opener. Fulton went 3-for-3 with a walk, Faith Moultrie was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Sarah Kerling finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Brooke Nordahl and Ari Williams pitched in run-scoring extra-base hits.

The Raiders turned four Providence errors into six unearned runs in Game 2. They put up a nine-spot in the second inning after a Tiffany Fuentes RBI double briefly gave the Argos a lead in the first.

Eleven different Raiders got in on their 13 hits. Fulton and Kierstin Grotewiel both had two. Avery Coffin and Aubree Muxen both drove in a pair.

During their streak, the Raiders have outscored opponents 102-15 combined.

They and the Argos play two more starting at 11 a.m. Saturday.