BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2
FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Freshman
Stephanie Nippert (Rocklin, Calif.) drove in two runs in Game #1 to go along with senior
Jessica Pierce's
(Kennewick, Wash.) combined 3-for-6 performance, as Corban's softball team split a double header with NCAA Division III member Pacific University of Oregon, 3-0 & 0-3, Wednesday night at Sherman/Larkins Stadium.
Following an 80-minute rain delay in tonight's finale, Corban finds itself at 5-10 overall while Pacific moves to 2-4 on its season.
Besides Nippert and Pierce, three other Warriors – freshman
Liane DeHart (Kent, Wash.), freshman
Erica Fitzgerald (Beaverton, Ore.), and sophomore
Rebecca Anni (Independence, Ore.) – collected hits in tonight's double header against the host Boxers. Meanwhile, junior
Makenzie Marchbanks (Sweet Home, Ore.) picked up the win in the opener going the distance for Corban allowing no runs on four hits to go along with three strikeouts. In Game #2, sophomore
Brittany Wagner (Oregon City, Ore.) would also go the distance allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits to go along with two K's en route to suffering the tough loss.
GAME #1 – CORBAN 3, PACIFIC 0
After two scoreless innings in Game #1, Corban plated two runs in the top of the third when Pierce and DeHart opened with back-to-back singles before senior
Rebecca Franke (Pendleton, Ore.) moved both runners up one base via a sacrifice bunt. The visiting Warriors would load the bases following a walk to Fitzgerald before Nippert doubled down to left center allowing both Pierce and DeHart to score the eventual game-winning runs.
In the top of the fifth inning, DeHart led off with a double to left field before the fleet-footed freshman would move to third on Franke's second sacrifice bunt of the game. DeHart would then come home on a wild pitch for the third and final run of the opener that extended the Warriors' lead to 3-0.
Pacific would be held to only one more hit over the final three innings, as Corban snapped an eight-game losing streak with its first shutout of the season.
The Boxers were led offensively by Kelly Nishitomi, who registered two of Pacific's four hits in the opener. Chelsey Chamberlain would go the distance for the Boxers allowing three earned runs on five hits to go along with a game-high eight strikeouts.
GAME #2 – PACIFIC 3, CORBAN 0
In the night cap, neither team would score over the opening two innings before the game was halted for nearly 90 minutes due to a rain delay.
Pacific would plate its first run of the night in the bottom of the third inning when Jessie Garcia belted her first home run of the season with one out making the score 1-0 in favor of the host Boxers.
Corban would collect only two hits in its next four at-bats before Pacific plated a pair of runs during its last at-bat in the bottom of the sixth inning on Ashley Billingsley's run-scoring single to left field before K'rene Delplanche crossed the plate for the game's final run on a Warrior throwing error.
With only one more chance to score in the top of the seventh inning, Corban got a hit-by-pitch and walk to place runners on first and second with one out. Unfortunately, the visiting Warriors could not capitalize on the run-scoring opportunity en route to suffering its 10th loss of the season.
Pacific would get hits from four different players, as the Boxers' Miranda McNealy went the distance allowing no runs on three hits to go along with a game-high 10 strikeouts.
Corban will return to the field on Friday, March 5th, in its home opening double header against the Wolves of Walla Walla University beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Warrior Field in Salem.