Corban Stays in Playoff Hunt With Sweep

With the sweep, Corban improves to 15-20 overall, 11-11 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.

Freshman Jessie Jones went a combined 5-for-8 today against the Beacons, as Corban swept Northwest Christian to stay in the playoff race. Photo courtesy: Corban Sports Information

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - Junior Erin Sailors (Anchorage, Alaska) and freshman Jennifer Kollaer (Albany, Ore.) combined to pitch 14.0 innings and allowed one run on 10 hits, as Corban's softball team swept a crucial conference doubleheader with the Beacons of Northwest Christian, 6-0 & 2-1, Saturday at James Park.

In a must-win for the Warriors, Corban earned a much-needed conference sweep en route to keeping their playoff hopes alive for the NAIA Region I Tournament beginning on May 8th.

Game #1 – Corban 6, Northwest Christian 0

In the opener, neither team could crack the scoring column until the top of the fourth inning when Corban put a single run on the board. Sophomore Jessica Pierce (Kennewick, Wash.) registered a one-out single and then advanced to third on an error by Northwest Christian's left fielder. During the next at-bat, senior Jennifer Childers (Winston, Ore.) stole second which allowed Pierce to score the game's opening run from third.

In the top of the fifth inning, Corban struck again with a single run as senior Lindsay Batey (Aloha, Ore.) singled to lead off the inning before being thrown out at second on a fielder's choice. Following a double by junior Karlee Sisler (Corvallis, Ore.), Pierce brought sophomore Josie Strange (Chehalis, Wash.) home via a ground out to second.

In the top of the sixth inning, the visiting Warriors blew the game wide open via three runs on four hits. Freshman Jessie Jones (Gladstone, Ore.) registered a two-out double before back-to-back singles by Kollaer and Batey brought Jones home. Kollaer scored on a NCC error before Strange singled Batey home for the Warriors' fifth run of the game.

Corban put its sixth and final run on the board in the top of the seventh inning, as Kollaer singled with the bases loaded to bring home sophomore Siriana Guest (Salem, Ore.) from third.

Offensively, Jones and Batey each collected three hits to go along with Kollaer and Pierce who tallied a pair of hits each in the opener. Sailors went the distance in the circle, allowing zero runs on a mere three hits to go along with a game-high nine strikeouts.

Three different Beacons registered a hit each, while Megan McLearn went the distance for Northwest Christian allowing six runs (two earned) on 14 hits to go along with four K's.

Game #2 - Corban 2, Northwest Christian 1

In the night cap, neither team scored until the top of the fifth inning when Corban tacked a single run on the board via Kollaer's RBI single that scored junior Megan Gaylord (Portland, Ore.) from third.

In the bottom half of the inning, Northwest Christian tied the score at 1-all via a RBI single by Cassie Bishop that scored the Beacons' lone run of the afternoon.

In the top of the seventh inning, Corban scored the game-winning run when Jones led off the inning with a single before stealing second as NCC's pitcher was not paying attention. Following a sacrifice bunt by Kollaer that allowed Jones to move to third, Batey sent a sacrifice fly to left field that brought the speedy second baseman home from sixty feet for the game-winning run.

Kollaer shut down the Beacons' bats in the bottom half of the seventh en route to picking up her fourth victory of the season after going the distance and allowing one earned run on seven hits.

Jones, Kollaer, and sophomore Kacie Emerick (Bellingham, Wash.) led the Warriors' offense with two hits each, while Strange and Sisler accounted for Corban's other two hits.

The Beacon offense was led by Bishop and McLearn, who each tallied a pair of hits to go along with Darci Bryne's complete game performance in the circle. Bryne allowed two unearned runs on eight hits to go along with a game-high five strikeouts.

With the sweep, Corban improves to 15-20 overall, 11-11 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. Meanwhile, Northwest Christian falls to 10-31 overall, 3-19 in CCC action. The Warriors are back in action on Friday, May 2nd, when they travel north to Portland for its regular season finales with Concordia beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Delta Park.

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