ASHLAND, Ore. – Northwest puts its backs to the wall heading into the final day of regular season softball action, blowing leads in both games of its Friday doubleheader at fourth-ranked Southern Oregon, 7-4 and 10-7.
 
To reach the postseason for the first time in school history, Northwest must now beat SOU on Saturday and hope Bushnell upsets Carroll in Montana.
 
"It's disappointing to all of us that we didn't get a win today, but I loved the fight we showed," said NU Head Coach Pam Fink. "We're going into the last conference game of the season with a chance to make history. Can't ask for much more than that now."
 
In the first game, Kayla Stanley singled home Madisyn Leffle in the third inning and the Eagles went up 4-0 in the fifth on a two-run double by Sydney Maurer and an RBI single by Paige Creasey.
 
But SOU scored six runs on three walks and two dropped fly balls in the bottom of the fifth and went on to the 7-4 win.
 
Jamelah Lewis added a single to the NU four-hit offense in the first game.
 
NU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the second game, using a two-run single by Lewis. Maurer doubled and scored when Bella King produced a sacrifice fly in the top of the third for a 3-0 lead.
 
The Raiders scored five runs in the bottom of the third on two hits and three errors. SOU led 10-3 going into the top of the seventh.
 
Leffle singled, stole second and scored on an RBI double by Stanley, who in turn scored on a double by Maurer. Chloe Van Boekhout singled home two runs to make it 10-7 and the Eagles had the potential tying run at the plate when the game ended.
 
NU had 12 hits in the game, led by Leffle and Cedella Ritchie with three each. Maurer had two hits.
 
Northwest and SOU play the last doubleheader of the season at 11 a.m. on Saturday.