BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

PORTLAND, Ore. – Senior Megan Gaylord (Portland, Ore.) and sophomore Jessie Jones (Gladstone, Ore.) collected a combined four hits each, but it was not enough as Corban's softball team fell to conference rival Concordia, 1-0 in 8 innings & 5-3, Tuesday afternoon at Delta Park.

Game #1 turned out to be a battle between two of the conference's top pitchers, as Corban senior Erin Sailors (Anchorage, Alaska) and Concordia's Danielle Pulfrey went toe-to-toe for eight innings without either team cracking the scoreboard.

The visiting Warriors had a chance to score in the opening inning when sophomore Jennifer Kollaer (Albany, Ore.) reached base on a fielder's choice before stealing second and advancing to third on a pass ball. Unfortunately for Corban, an inning-ending strikeout ended the threat and the Warriors did not get a runner that close again.

Jones was the only Warrior to get within scoring distance, as she reached second in the top of the sixth inning only to be stranded there after a strikeout and foul out to third ended the frame.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Concordia got a one-out single off the bat of Denise Benedict before she came home a game-ending single to left field by Samantha Daline for the one-run Cavalier victory.

Game #2 was a different story for both teams, as Corban got on the scoreboard first when Jones singled to left center to lead off before Kollaer brought her home with a single to the exact same spot that put the Warriors up 1-0 early.

Concordia wasted no time in knotting the game at 1-all via a run-scoring double by Benedict in the bottom half of the inning.

With the bases loaded in the top of the second inning, Jones singled to left field to bring home freshman Twyla Baggarley (Hillsboro, Ore.) before Concordia's starting pitcher – Bethany Dempster – was pulled in favor of Pulfrey. The opening game starter then got two quick outs to end the inning and keep the host Cavaliers within striking distance.

Corban took a two-run lead (3-1) in the top of the fourth when Jones singled via a bunt before coming around to score on a Pulfrey strikeout that got away from the catcher thanks to a pass ball.

The host Cavaliers wasted no time in knotting the game for the second time thanks to a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on an error and a RBI single by Robin Gawlista that tied the game at 3-3.

Benedict and Gawlista proceeded to give Concordia the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning, as the eventual game-winning run came home thanks to a double to left center by Benedict. Following a Corban pitching change, Gawlista brought home the insurance run via a double down the left field line to make the score 5-3 in favor of Concordia.

The visiting Warriors proceeded to load the bases in both the sixth and seventh innings only to have both scoring threats ended on strikeouts that pushed Pulfrey's total to 12 in the finale.

Offensively, Gaylord and Jones combined to go 8-for-13 at the plate with Gaylord collecting Corban's lone hits in the opener and Jones registering a game-high four base knocks in the night cap. In Game #1, Sailors went the distance allowing one earned run on five hits to go along with 12 strikeouts. In the finale, freshman Brittany Wagner (Oregon City, Ore.) went the opening 4.0 innings allowing five runs (two earned) on five hits before turning the ball over to Baggarley for the final two scoreless frames.

Concordia was led by Benedict's combined 3-for-8 performance, while Pulfrey pitched a combined 13.2 innings allowing one unearned run to go along with her 27 K's. Game #2 saw Dempster go the opening 1.1 innings allowing two earned runs on five hits before turning the ball over the Pulfrey, who picked up her second win of the afternoon.

With today's results, Corban finds itself at 18-16 overall and 6-6 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. Meanwhile, Concordia moves to 21-5 overall and 8-4 in CCC action. The Warriors are back in action on Friday, April 18th, when they host the Raiders of Southern Oregon in an afternoon double header beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Warrior Field.