BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2
NEWBERG, Ore. – Senior
Karlee Sisler (Corvallis, Ore.) went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored in Game #1 and junior
Jessica Schell (Portland, Ore.) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI in the night cap, as Corban's softball team swept NCAA Division III member George Fox, 4-3 & 13-6, Monday afternoon at Morse Field.
Following two scoreless innings in the opener that included a bases loaded situation for George Fox in the 1st inning, the host Bruins cracked the score board in the bottom of the third thanks to a run-scoring double down the left field line by Becka Doyle.
In the top of the 4th inning, Corban took the lead thanks to a pair of runs off three hits. Junior
Rachel Steigleman (Eugene, Ore.) reached base on a Bruin error before Sisler registered an infield single that allowed Steigleman to move up one base. The very next batter – Schell – would load the bases via a fielder's choice to third. With all three bags full of Warriors, freshman
Twyla Baggarley (Hillsboro, Ore.) singled to left field allowing Steigleman to score and knotted the game at 1-all. Junior
Jessica Pierce (Kennewick, Wash.) would give the Warriors the lead (2-1) with a single to center field that scored Sisler.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, George Fox would knot the game at 2-2 when Audrey Dove drew an inning-opening walk before stealing second and coming home on an error by the Warriors' catcher.
The very next inning, Corban struck for two runs on four hits with Schell bringing home the eventual game-winning run via a double to left center that scored Sisler and Steigleman. The Warriors' at-bat opened with an infield single off the bat of sophomore
Jennifer Kollaer (Albany, Ore.) before junior
Rebecca Franke (Pendleton, Ore.) sacrificed her over to second via a bunt. After a Steigleman single up the middle, Kollaer was thrown out at home attempting to score the go-ahead run before Sisler registered an infield single to set up Schell's run-scoring performance.
George Fox would pull within a single run (4-3) in the bottom of the 5th inning when Chelsea Bradely drew a lead off walk before Shelby Briske doubled to right center that advanced Bradely to third. Doyle was then hit by a pitch to load the bases before Erin Lee drew a walk that scored Bradely and pulled the host team within one run. With the bases still loaded, second-year head coach
Nathan Ohta brought in freshman relief pitcher
Brittany Wagner (Oregon City, Ore.) to get Briske out at home on a fielder's choice before the Warriors induced an inning-ending double play.
Over the game's final two innings, Corban got George Fox 1-2-3 in consecutive innings as Baggarley registered her third win of the season to go along with Wagner's third save this season.
Sisler led the Warriors' offensive attack with a 3-for-4 performance, while sophomore
Jessie Jones (Gladstone, Ore.) and Pierce turned in a pair of two-hit showings. Baggarley went the opening 4.0 innings for the Warriors allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits before Wagner pitched the final 3.0 scoreless innings en route to registering her team-leading third save.
George Fox was led by Briske and Doyle, who each registered two hits. In the circle, Bradely went the distance allowing four runs (two earned) on 11 hits to go along with a game-high eight strikeouts.
In the night cap, Corban struck for three runs in the opening inning off three hits. Jones opened the game with a walk before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Franke. Steigleman then singled to left field allowing Jones to move to third before moving to second on a wild pitch that allowed Jones to score the game's opening run. The very next batter – Schell – brought home the eventual game-winning run via her third home run of the season, which was a three-run blast to left center that gave Corban a 3-0 lead.
George Fox would push across two runs in the bottom of the first inning off four hits that included an RBI single up the middle by Bradely and a run-scoring infield single by Briske that made the score 3-2 in favor of the visiting Warriors.
In the top of the third inning, Corban scored two more runs off three hits when Franke led off with a single to left field before advancing to second via a wild pitch. Steigleman would then bring Franke home with a double to left center before advancing to third on a wild pitch and coming home on Schell's sacrifice fly to left field to make the score 5-2 in Corban's favor.
Two innings later, Corban added two more runs on one hit with Steigleman reaching via an inning-opening hit by pitch. Schell would then get on base when George Fox's right fielder dropped a fly ball, which advanced everyone a base. Following a fly out, Baggarley would bring Steigleman home with a single to center field before Wagner reached via a fielding error by the Bruins' shortstop to put the Warriors up by five runs (7-2).
George Fox would pull within a single run (7-6) in the bottom of the fifth inning when the host Bruins scored four runs off five hits. The highlight of the frame came off the bat of Doyle, who belted a three-run home run over the right center field fence that capped GFU's scoring and gave life to the host Bruins with two innings to play.
Wasting no time, Corban would add another three runs to the score board when Franke cranked a one-out solo home run over the left center field fence to extend the Warriors' lead to two runs (8-6). Schell would single to left field before Sisler was hit by a pitch, which allowed Baggarley to register another RBI via a double to left center. Sisler would eventually come around to score the Warriors' 10th run via a throwing error by George Fox's third baseman, which extended Corban's lead to four runs (10-6).
In the top of the 7th inning, Corban would add another three runs to its total via an error, a steal home, and a ground out. Junior
Kacie Emerick (Bellingham, Wash.) would score the Warriors' first run on another Bruin fielding error before Jones would swipe home on a double steal. Corban's final run of the afternoon came when Schell groundout out to short, which allowed Franke to score the Warriors' 13th run and extended the difference to seven runs (13-6).
George Fox would get three straight hits following an inning-opening fly out to load the bases before Corban got the Bruins to strike out and register a game-ending line out to short.
Schell was the Warriors' offensive leader with a 2-for-4 performance that included three runs scored and four RBI, while four other Corban players – Franke, Steigleman, Sisler, and Baggarley – turned in two-hit performances. Wagner went the distance in the circle allowing six runs (all earned) on 13 hits to go along with a game-high four strikeouts.
George Fox was led offensively by three players – Kristen Griffith, Bradely, and Briske – that each registered three hits, while Doyle drove in a team-high three RBI. In the circle, Bradely went the opening 6.0 innings allowing 10 runs (seven earned) on 11 hits before turning the ball over to Lee for the game's final three outs.
With today's sweep, Corban moves above the .500 mark at 12-10 overall versus George Fox's 4-15 win- loss record. The Warriors will open Cascade Collegiate Conference play with a double header on Friday, March 27th, against nationally-ranked Oregon Tech beginning at 2:00 p.m. in Klamath Falls.
