BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

LA GRANDE, Ore. – Senior Erin Sailors (Anchorage, Alaska) hurled a complete game in the opener to go along with sophomore Jennifer Kollaer's (Albany, Ore.) solo home run in the first inning, as Corban's softball team earned a split with the Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon, 4-0 & 4-5, Saturday afternoon at Peggy Anderson Field.

Looking to match the most wins in program history, Corban began the day on a good note scoring two runs in the first inning off two hits. Following a groundout, Kollaer belted her seventh home run of the season over the left field fence that turned out to be the eventual game-winning run. Two batters later, freshman Ashley Strom (Salem, Ore.) drove in the Warriors' second run of the inning with a single to center field that scored junior Rebecca Franke (Pendleton, Ore.) after she walked following Kollaer's home run.

Neither team scored again until the top of the fourth inning when junior Jessica Schell (Portland, Ore.) cranked her fifth home run of the season over the right field fence to lead off the frame and give the visiting Warriors a 3-0 lead.

One inning later, Corban got a one-out single from junior Kacie Emerick (Bellingham, Wash.) before senior Megan Gaylord (Portland, Ore.) advanced everyone one base with a single to left field. Following a fielding error by Eastern Oregon that moved Emerick to third, the Warriors' fourth and final run came home on a wild pitch that allowed Emerick to cross the plate.

Sailors seemed in complete control having allowed only one walk through the opening four inning before Eastern Oregon got a lead-off hit from Ashli Hughes. One inning later, the host Mountaineers had runners on first and second when Megan Platz singled through the right side. Looking like Eastern Oregon was going to get on the score board, Corban's Kollaer unleased a rifle throw that got Kimmy Peterson at home to end the scoring threat.

In the seventh inning, Eastern Oregon got a single through the left side to lead off the frame before a pair of fly ball outs set-up the game's final out. Sailors got pinch-hitter Kassi Reibeck to strike out to end the game and in the process the four-year Warrior broke her own single-season record for K's with 155-and-counting.

Gaylord led the Warriors' bat-attack with a 2-for-4 performance, while five other Corban players – Kollaer, Schell, Strom, sophomore Jessica Pierce (Kennewick, Wash.), and Emerick – registered a hit each in the victory. Sailors went the distance for the Warriors allowing a mere three hits to go along with a game-high eight strikeouts and in the process set a new single-season record for shutouts with her fourth of the '09 season.

Eastern Oregon got one-hit performances from Platz, Megan Monaghan, and Hughes, while Suzie Espinoza went the opening 3.0 innings for the Mountaineers allowing three earned runs on three hits before turning the ball over to Samantha Pedro for the game's final 4.0 innings.

In Game #2, Corban got a lead-off single from Gaylord before she was thrown out attempting to stretch her single into a double. One out later, Franke cranked her team-leading ninth home run of the season over the left field fence that handed the Warriors an early 1-0 lead and in the process moved into a tie for third on the all-time single-season home run list in Warrior history.

The visiting Warriors added two more runs in the top of the third inning when Franke drove in her second and third runs of the afternoon via a double to left center that scored Kollaer and Gaylord. After two-and-a-half innings, the score was Corban 3, Eastern Oregon 0.

In the top of the fifth inning, Corban added another run to the score board when Franke singled to center field before stealing second and advancing to third on a ground out to the pitcher. During Strom's at-bat, Franke came home to score on a pass ball after EOU's pitcher got a strikeout that moved the score to 4-0 in Corban's favor.

After pitching five masterful innings, Sailors got into a pickle in the top of the sixth when she walked the opening three Eastern Oregon batters before being pulled in favor of freshman Brittany Wagner (Oregon City, Ore.). After a fielding error by Corban's shortstop that scored the Mountaineers' first run, Iris Woodhead registered a bases-clearing three-run double to left center that knotted the score at 4-4. The very next batter – Megan Hardman – drove in the eventual game-winning run with a single through the right side that scored Woodhead and made the score 5-4 in favor of the home team. Eastern Oregon would move runners to third with one out before Corban got a pair of ground outs to end the scoring threat.

In the seventh inning, Eastern Oregon got three straight outs via a strikeout, a ground out, and a game-ending line out en route to completing the come-from-behind win and earn the double header split.

Leading the Warriors offensively was Franke with a 3-for-4 performance that included two runs scored and three RBI, while Gaylord and freshman Rebecca Anni (Independence, Ore.) turned in a pair of two-hit performances. Sailors went the opening 5.0 innings allowing three earned runs on three hits before Wagner came in for the final inning, but allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits en route to suffering the heart-breaking loss.

Eastern Oregon was led by five different players – Ashleigh Byrne, Woodhead, Hardman, Crystal Weseman, and Peterson – with a hit each, while Kayli Johnston went the opening 5.0 innings allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits before Pedro pitched the final 2.0 innings en route to picking up the victory.

With today's results, Corban is now 19-23 overall and 7-13 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. Meanwhile, Eastern Oregon finds itself at 11-25 overall and 5-15 in CCC action. The Warriors will return to the diamond on Saturday, May 2nd, against conference rival Northwest Christian beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Warrior Field.