BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Junior Jessie Jones (Gladstone, Ore.) moved within one stolen base of tying the program's all-time record of 46, but Corban's softball team could not overcome five Oregon Tech home runs as the Warriors fell to the Hustlin' Owls, 5-4 & 16-9, Friday afternoon at the OIT Softball Complex.

With today's results, Corban falls to 15-20 overall and evens its Cascade Collegiate Conference record at 7-7. Meanwhile, Oregon Tech improves to 24-18 overall and 11-5 in league play.

Jones and freshman Liane DeHart (Kent, Wash.) led Corban's offense with a pair of 5-for-9 performances at the plate, while freshman Tamara Feb (Oregon City, Ore.) belted her sixth home run of the season on only 16 games. Junior Makenzie Marchbanks (Sweet Home, Ore.) pitched her team and conference-leading 17th complete game in the opener before going another 1.1 innings in the finale.

GAME #1 – OREGON TECH 5, CORBAN 4

In the opening game, Corban would score first in the top of the third inning when DeHart led off with a single before stealing second and advancing to third on a Feb ground out. Freshman Erica Fitzgerald (Beaverton, Ore.) would drive in the visiting Warriors' opening run on a single to left field that plated DeHart and handed Corban an early 1-0 lead.

Oregon Tech would score three runs in the bottom of the fourth on a Kayde Schaefer home run that scored Jess Plummer and Sara Coates. Schaefer's fourth home run of the season would give the host Owls a two-run lead (3-1) after four innings of play.

In the top of the sixth inning, freshman Katie Steigleman (Eugene, Ore.) brought Corban within a single run (3-2) thanks to her first collegiate home run that cleared the left center field fence with two outs.

The host Owls would plate two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when Taylor Schmidt's single brought home Brittany Cherry following her lead off single for a 4-2 OIT lead. One batter later, Schaefer drove in her fourth run of the game via a single to left field that scored Schmidt for the eventual game-winning run and a three-run Owl lead (5-2).

Corban would score two runs in its final at-bat when Jones lead off with a single before coming home on DeHart's triple. One batter later, Feb would drive in the visiting Warriors' fourth run of the game via a single that brought home DeHart. With one out and a runner on first, Oregon Tech got a pair of ground outs to end the game and handed the host Owls a slim one-run victory (5-4).

DeHart would lead Corban's offensive attack with a 3-for-4 performance that included two runs scored and one run batted in, while Jones registered two hits in Game #1. Marchbanks would go the distance for the Warriors allowing five earned runs on five hits to go along with one strikeout.

Oregon Tech was led by Schaefer's 2-for-4 performance with one run scored and a game-high four RBI, while Mikey Eustance pitched all seven innings for the Owls allowing four earned runs on nine hits to go along with a game-high three K's.

GAME #2 – OREGON TECH 16, CORBAN 9

In the night cap, Corban would score first once again in the opening inning when DeHart dropped down a bunt single before advancing to second on a single by fellow freshman Stephanie Nippert (Rocklin, Calif.). During the next at-bat, both Nippert and DeHart executed a double steal with DeHart coming home on a throwing error by OIT for an early 1-0 Warrior lead.

Oregon Tech would plate two runs in the bottom of the second inning when Schaefer led off with a solo home run – her second of the afternoon – before Andria Wheatley grounded out bringing home Bree Larson for a 2-1 Owl advantage.

Corban would tie the score at 2-2 in the top of the third when DeHart led off with a triple before coming home two batters later on Fitzgerald's double to center field.

The host Owls would take the lead for good in the bottom of the third via Plummer's seventh home run of the season for a 3-2 OIT lead.

In the top of the fourth inning, Jones would register a two-out single before swiping her 45th career stolen base to pull within one of former Warrior Megan Gaylord (2006-09) for the all-time program record.

Oregon Tech would score three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, as Cherry registered a two-run double following Wheatley's run-scoring single that resulted in a 6-2 Owl lead.

Corban would get three runs in the top of the fifth inning thanks to Feb's two-run home run that also scored Nippert before senior Jessica Schell (Portland, Ore.) drove in Fitzgerald with a single that pulled the visiting Warriors within one run (6-5).

The host Owls would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fifth inning when Oregon Tech scored six runs on six hits that included a two-run home run by Schmidt. Once the dust had settled, OIT had a seven-run lead (12-5) with only two more at-bats for Corban.

The visiting Warriors would get four runs back in the top of the sixth on back-to-back-to-back run-scoring doubles by Fitzgerald, senior Rachel Kazmierski (Eugene, Ore.), and Schell following a RBI single by Feb. Corban had pulled within three runs (12-9), but could not shut down OIT's offensive fire power.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Oregon Tech would cap the afternoon's scoring on Plummer's second home run of the game and team-leading eighth of the season via a grand slam that resulted in a seven-run Owl victory (16-9).

Corban would get a team-high three hits from Jones, while five other Warriors – DeHart, Nippert, Feb, Fitzgerald, and Schell – registered two hits each. Sophomore Brittany Wagner (Oregon City, Ore.) would go the opening 4.2 innings for the Warriors allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits before turning the ball over to Marchbanks for the final five outs.

Oregon Tech got a perfect 5-for-5 performance from Plummer that included a game-high six runs batted in, while Schmidt went the opening 4.1 innings allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits before turning the ball over to a pair of Owl relievers.

Corban will return to the diamond tomorrow – Saturday, April 17th – against the Raiders of Southern Oregon beginning at 11:00 a.m. in Ashland.