The Clash in the Cascades heats up on the diamond

Shelton shares with us why when these two teams meet on the diamond... you should expect good games.

S-o-u ánat popá o-i-t ánat popá when the raiders and owls meet in any sports venue-- the stakes are automatically higher.

Jessica pistole: "anybody can beat anybody on any given day and it's always fun matching up against oit."

This weekend-- the stakes rise even higher.

It's a top-5 showdown on the softball diamond between southern oregon and oregon tech.

Hannah shimek: "we should always, no matter who we're playing, act like they're the number one person in the nation so we're just coming out like they are number one and we're gonna take them down."

And for the first time in 3 years-- the raiders will make the trip to klamath falls for the clash in the cascades.

8:16 abramson: "i have never played.

Sou at home until this weekend in my four years here... so i'm definitely excited to play in our element."

For both teams it's just another week of practice.

But there's a lot to be gained from this weekend.

1:24 greg stewart: "they're the measuring stick in the, in the nation right now.

I mean, they're the team to beat... "it just gives you that feel like you're playing a playoff game."

"> oregon tech leads the all time series 60 to 57.

But the raiders have recently closed the gap-- winning 18 of their last 24 meetings.

Though-- if history is any indicator-- this series will be hard fought to the final out.

16 of the last 24 games have been decided by 2 runs or fewer.

In these games, it's the little things that matter most.

7:24 sarah abramson: "the higher, the stakes, the, the more, the little things.

Really make a difference."

It's the first meeting between the two teams in almost 2 years-- after the 2020 season was cut short.

But-- this is likely not the last time these two teams square off in 2021-- and they're ready.

Hannah shimek: "it's gonna take