Softball: Corban 4-13, George Fox 3-6

Warriors Take Non-Conference Pair from Bruins.

Salem-News.com Sports

NEWBERG, Ore. - After taking a tight 4-3 victory in the first game, the Corban College Warriors broke open a close second game with six runs in the final two innings for a 13-6 win, completing a non-conference softball sweep of the home-standing George Fox University Bruins on a cold and sometimes drizzly Monday afternoon here at Morse Field.

The Bruins struck first in the opener when Kristen Griffith and Shelby Briske drew walks off Warrior starter Twyla Baggarley (3-1) and Becka Doyle doubled down the left field line to score Griffith in the 3rd inning. Corban answered with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the 4th, Baggarley and Jessica Pierce singling in Rachel Steigleman and Karlee Sisler before Bruin southpaw Chelsea Bradely (4-12) struck out Megan Gaylord and Jessie Jones to prevent further damage.

The Warriors gave the Bruins the tying run in the home half of the 4th when Audrey Dove drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and came all the way home when the catcher’s throw slipped and sailed all the way to the warning track in right-center field.

Corban regained the lead in the 5th by scoring two runs after the Bruins had already thrown one runner out at the plate. Jen Kollaer led off with an infield single, moved up on a sacrifice, and tried to score on Steigleman’s sharp single to center, but a relay from Amy Peterson to first baseman Griffith to catcher Kerstyn Tsuruda nailed the runner at home. Sisler followed with a single as Steigleman reached third, and Jessica Schell’s double to left-center drove home both runners.

Back came the Bruins in the bottom of the frame. Bradely walked, Briske doubled her to third, and Doyle was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Erin Lee drew a walk to force in a run, cutting the Bruins’ deficit to 4-3 with the bases loaded and none out. Brittany Wagner relieved Baggarley at that point, got Dove to hit into a force at the plate, then induced Katie Hughes to bounce into a 1-2-3 double play. She finished the game with perfect 6th and 7th innings for her third save of the year.

Briske and Doyle had two hits each for the Bruins, who were outhit 11-6. Sisler was 3-4 for the Warriors.

Baggarley worked four-plus innings for the win, allowing all six Bruin hits and three runs while striking out two and walking five. Wagner fanned three in three perfect relief innings. Bradely took the hard-luck loss, spacing 11 hits with eight strikeouts and no walks and only two earned runs allowed.

Jones scored on a wild pitch and Schell slugged a two-run home run, her third of the year, to get the Warriors off to a fast 3-0 start in the 1st inning of the nightcap. The Bruins bounced back in the home half with two of their own on consecutive singles by Tsuruda, Griffith, Bradely for a run and Briske for another.

Corban built its lead to 7-3 with a pair of scores in both the 3rd and 5th innings. Steigleman doubled in Becca Franke and later scored on Schell’s sacrifice fly in the 3rd, while Baggarley had an RBI single and Wagner a run-scoring grounder in the 5th. Both 5th-inning runs were unearned due to two Bruin errors.

George Fox rallied in the last of the 5th. After one out, Tsuruda, Griffith, and Bradely singled to load the bases, and Briske singled in Tsuruda, but Griffith was caught trying to get back to third after rounding the base too far for the second out. Doyle followed with a line drive home run over the fence in right-center, her third of the season, to cut the deficit to 7-6.

The Warriors put the game away with three runs in each of the 6th and 7th innings. Franke lined her third home run to left-center for one run in the 6th, Baggarley hit an RBI double, and another run scored on a throwing error. In the 7th, Kacie Emerick scored on a wild pitch, Jones scored on a double steal, and Franke scored on Schell’s ground out to short.

Griffith, Bradely, and Briske all went 3-4 for the Bruins, who out-hit the Warriors 13-11. Tsuruda also had two hits, and Doyle had three RBIs. For Corban, Franke, Steigleman, Schell, Sisler and Baggarley had two hits apiece, with Schell driving in four and Franke, Steigleman, and Schell scoring three times each.

Wagner (3-5) went the distance for Corban, surviving despite allowing 13 hits, but she walked no one and struck out four. Bradely (4-14) went six innings for George Fox, allowing 11 hits and 10 runs, seven earned, with three K’s and a walk, while Erin Lee finished up in the 7th.

George Fox (4-15) returns to Northwest Conference action this weekend with a pair of 12:00 noon doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday at Whitworth University. Corban (12-10) starts Cascade Collegiate Conference play Friday with a 2:00 p.m. twinbill at Oregon Institute of Technology.

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