BELLEVUE – Top-ranked Southern Oregon finished off a sweep of Northwest Sunday but not without a little drama, 5-1 and 12-4.

Northwest struck first in the opener and took a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning before the Raiders scored three in the sixth and two in the seventh.

Jordan Dippel led off the bottom of the first with a triple off Gabby Sandoval and scored on a sacrifice fly by Sammi Caron for the 1-0 lead.

Sydney Maurer took a shutout into the sixth for the Eagles.

"We're getting better every day," said NU Head Coach Pam Fink. "We played really tough, especially in that first game. Sydney pitched great, and we played great defense. Sandoval is probably the best pitcher in the NAIA, and I think we made her earn that win today." 

Southern Oregon loaded the bases in the fifth, but NU second baseman Jessica Nunes stretched out for a running catch in shallow right field to rob Tayler Walker of a pair of RBIs.

SOU put together a three-run, two-out rally in the sixth. Avery Morehead-Hutsel tied the game with an RBI single, and Allie Stines doubled to put the Raiders ahead to stay.

Nicola Fish had a pair of singles, and Nunes added a base hit in the four-hit NU offense.

Sandoval got the win with 10 strikeouts.

SOU scored in each of the first four innings of the second game.

NU made it a 3-1 game in the bottom of the first. Dippel doubled, moved to third on a fly to right by Caron, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nunes.

The Eagles scored again in the second when Alyssa Maldonado scored on a double by Asley Oswald.

Northwest scored twice more in the fifth. Kayla Stanley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Nunes scored on a sacrifice fly by Oswald.

Lauren Quirke led the Raiders with three hits, while Riley Donovan and Jordan Henderson plated two runs each.

Dippel and Fish had a pair of hits to lead the Eagles. Oswald, Maldonado, and Sam Parisio each had hits, with Oswald driving home two runs.

"Jordo was pretty spectacular this whole series on offense and defense," Fink said. "We had some players show what they are capable of doing. It feels like we're ready to have a breakthrough."

The Eagles return to Bellevue High School Saturday and Sunday for four games against Carroll College.