SOU tennis team drops two at NAIA Regionals

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Canadian weather wasn’t a factor for the Southern Oregon University women’s tennis team, but rust built up over three weeks of no competition kept the Raiders from their best efforts Friday at the NAIA Regionals.

The host University of Alberta team bested SOU, 9-1, in Friday’s afternoon match, and 13th-ranked Lewis and Clark State got the best of the Raiders, 8-0, in the evening.

The first action of the day proved especially disappointing for SOU head coach Gail Patton, whose Raiders could have avoided a meeting with top-seeded Lewis and Clark State by upending Alberta at its new indoor facility.

"I really thought the match would be closer," said Patton. "We knew going in we had to be in top form and we just weren’t there."

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The only victory of the day for SOU was turned in by No. 4 doubles team Katie Ketchum and Tami Weidert, who beat Alberta’s Nataela Mohythik and Farol Ayem, 8-6.

The Raiders, who hadn’t played a match since the first weekend in April, dropped to 10-3 on the season. SOU will close out its season today against Albertson College.

Alberta 9, SOU 1

SINGLES — Susi Fleisethacker, A, d. Annie Chaney, 6-1, 6-4; Shaira Somani, A, d. Megan Loeding, 6-2, 6-3; Mariko Wakefield, A, d. Danielle Farber, 6-3, 6-1; Natalie Belair, A, 3-6, 6-4, 6- 4; Kelsey Ross, A, d. Erika Moller, 6-4, 6-5; Ingrid McKibbon, A, d. Amy Hurlocker, 6-4, 6-2.

DOUBLES — Susi Fleisethacker-Mariko Wakefield, A, d. Annie Chaney-Danielle Farber, 8-2; Shaira Somani-Kelsey Ross, A, d. Megan Loeding-Erika Moller, 8-2; Natalie Belair-Lindsey Keogh, A, d. Lana Ho-Amy Hurlocker, 8-6; Katie Ketchum-Tami Weidert, SO, d. Nataela Mohythik-Farol Ayem, 8-6.

Lewis and Clark State 9, SOU 0

SINGLES — Pei Yuin Keng, LCS, d. Annie Chaney, 6-0, 6-0; Hethzibah Segura, LCS, d. Megan Loeding, 6-0, 6-0; Carla Jones, LCS, d. Danielle Farber, 6-2, 6-2; Khaliun Enkhjargal, LCS, d. Tami Weidert, 6-0, 6-1; Maria Resende, LCS, d. Erika Moller, 6-3, 6-1; Sonam Yangchen, LCS, d. Amy Hurlocker, 6-1, 6-0.

DOUBLES — Pei Yuin Keng-Hethzibah Segura, LCS, d. Annie Chaney-Danielle Farber, 8-2; Carla Jones-Sonam Yangchen, LCS, d. Megan Loeding-Erika Moller, 8-2; Khaliun Enkhjargal-Maria Resende, LCS, d. Lana Ho-Amy Hurlocker, 8-0.

Softball

SOUTHERN OREGON 5-1, WESTERN BAPTIST 3-2 — At Salem, Southern Oregon ace pitcher Miranda Gillaspie picked up her 16th victory of the season, but the 21st-ranked Raiders had to settle for a Cascade Conference doubleheader split at Western Baptist College on Friday.

The league-leading Raiders (28-8, 12-3) used a Gillaspie complete-game effort and a two-run eighth-inning single by junior infielder Megan Rock for the Game 1 win, but SOU left the bases loaded in the seventh inning in a Game 2 victory by the Warriors (19-16, 9-8).

Gillaspie (16-3) and Warrior ace Rachel Hiatt each were working on scoreless two-hitters through six innings of the opener, but the offenses came alive in the seventh.

SOU used two hits and two Western Baptist errors to score three times in the frame on Gillaspie’s two-run double to left center and Haley Varley’s squeeze bunt that scored freshman Beth Morrill.

But Western Baptist stormed back to tie things in the bottom half. With one out Gamel singled and moved to third on a Sarah Newport double. Borde’s infield single in the hole at short scored Gamel, but Newport got caught off second base for the second out. Hiatt then lofted a 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence to send the game to extra innings.

However, the Raiders used a single, a hit batter and error to load the bases in the eighth with one out. After a force out at the plate, Rock singled up the middle.

In Game 2, Warrior designated hitter Lucy Borde broke a 1-1 tie with a fifth-inning solo home run that became the game-winner when Warrior reliever Kristen Meeker struck out Gillaspie with the bases loaded and two out in the seventh.

Sophomore pitcher Amanda Cregan, who allowed only two hits and both runs in 4.1 innings, fell to 8-4 overall with the hard-luck loss.

The teams mustered only 20 combined hits in the twin bill and only eight by the Raiders, who entered the day with a conference-best .347 batting average.

SOU tangles with Concordia University at noon today in a doubleheader at Portland’s Delta Park.