ASHLAND, Ore. – The Bushnell softball team made history on Friday afternoon, and exorcised a few demons in the process as they took the final game of a four-game series from defending NAIA national champion Southern Oregon University, 4-3, earning the split.
 
The No. 10-ranked Raiders match the highest ranked opponent Bushnell has ever defeated as the Beacons picked up their first NAIA Top-25 win since 2019. The victory also ended a 17-game losing streak as well as a 29-game losing streak to the Raiders. It was the first home loss for SOU this season.
 
Southern Oregon closed out a three-game CCC sweep of the Beacons with a 9-2 win in the opener, before falling in the non-conference closer. The Raiders move to 24-9 on the season and 12-3 in CCC action while Bushnell moves to 7-24 overall and 1-14 in conference.
 
GAME ONE: Southern Oregon 9, Bushnell 2
 
Piper Live hit two solo home runs and Kennedy Kila went 4-for-4 with three RBIs, leading the Raiders to the CCC sweep on Friday morning.
 
Katie Machado (13-3) struck out nine Beacon hitters allowed one earned run in the complete game effort for SOU. Liz Hillier (2-10) took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits before needing to come out in the first inning.
 
Gracelyn Johnson led the Bushnell hitters as she went 2-for-3. Halliday Hubbard added a triple and Kiley Campos posted an RBI double in the fifth inning.
 
GAME TWO: Bushnell 4, Southern Oregon 3
 
Emily Cole (4-11) threw a complete game for the Beacons to pick up the victory, striking out three batters and allowing two earned runs on six hits. The Raiders had made things interesting, scoring two runs in the sixth inning with just one out, but Cole (pictured) retired the final five batters she faced for the huge victory.
 
Bushnell scored their four runs, all in the third inning, on just two hits. Ericka Allen posted a two-run double while two more runs came home on an error, after a hard-hit ball by Mandy Fetters.
 
The Beacons will return home next weekend, looking to capitalize on their newfound momentum as they take on the University of Providence (7-16, 5-10 CCC), beginning on Friday, April 5 at 3:00 pm.