BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

LA GRANDE, Ore. – Junior Makenzie Marchbanks (Sweet Home, Ore.) pitched a one-hitter in the opener to go along with two home runs in the double header by freshman Stephanie Nippert (Rocklin, Calif.), as Corban's softball team swept Eastern Oregon, 7-0 & 9-1 in six innings, Saturday at Peggy Anderson Field.

After yesterday's twin bill against Eastern Oregon was postponed due to snow and today's originally scheduled double header against The College of Idaho was postponed due to weather, Corban stayed the Grande Ronde Valley for two games today and improved to 14-17 overall and 6-4 in Cascade Collegiate Conference action. Meanwhile, Eastern Oregon had today's games against Northwest Christian postponed due to weather and falls to 9-13 overall and 1-7 in league play.

Marchbanks stepped into the circle in the opener and went the first 6.2 innings without allowing a hit before a Warrior error extended the game and an Eastern Oregon infield single broke up the no-hitter. Offensively, Nippert turned in a combined 4-for-8 performance at the plate with three runs scored, two home runs, and five runs batted in. Meanwhile, junior Jessie Jones (Gladstone, Ore.) belted her first home run of the season via a grand slam in the finale to go along with freshman Tamara Feb's (Oregon City, Ore.) fifth home run of the season in Game #1.

GAME #1 – CORBAN 7, EASTERN OREGON 0

The opener would begin as a pitcher's dual until Corban scored seven unanswered runs over the next four innings with the highlights coming off the bats of Nippert and Feb in the top of the sixth inning.

In the visiting Warriors' next-to-last at-bat, Nippert and Feb would go back-to-back following a one-out walk to freshman Liane DeHart (Kent, Wash.). With DeHart standing on first base, Nippert would register her sixth home run of the season before Feb cranked her fifth home run in the past eight games to cap the game's scoring.

Eastern Oregon would go into its final at-bat without a hit before Suzie Espinoza extended the game on a Warrior error. The Mountaineers' next batter – Shelby Spencer – would break up Marchbanks' no-no with an infield single to third before the Mountaineers ended the game on a ground out for the final score of 7-0 in favor of the visitors.

Nippert and Feb would lead Corban's offense with a pair of two-hit performances, while Marchbanks went the distance for her conference-leading 15th complete game of the season allowing a mere one hit to go along with four strikeouts.

Eastern Oregon would get a solid pitching performance from Jennifer McDonnell, as she allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits to go along with a game-high seven K's before turning the ball over to Espinoza for the final out.

GAME #2 – CORBAN 9, EASTERN OREGON 1 (6 INNINGS)

In the finale, Corban would score single runs in the first and second innings as Nippert drove home DeHart with a single to left field in the opening inning before senior Jessica Pierce (Kennewick, Wash.) brought home fellow senior Jessica Schell (Portland, Ore.) with a single to right field in the second inning.

Eastern Oregon would pull within a single run (2-1) in the bottom of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly to third base by Spencer that brought home Nyssa Salazer after she pinch ran for Espinoza to lead off the inning.

Corban would squash any chance of a Mountaineer come back in the top of the sixth inning when senior Rachel Kazmierski (Eugene, Ore.) drew a bases loaded walk before Jones cleared the bases with her first home run of the season via a grand slam. One batter later, Nippert belted her team-leading seventh home run of the season that brought home DeHart for the final two runs of the afternoon and an eight-run victory (9-1) for the Warriors.

Nippert and Pierce would lead the Warriors' offense with a pair of two-hit performances, while Jones registered four RBI to go along with Nippert's three runs batted in. Marchbanks would go the opening 5.0 innings allowing one earned run on three hits before turning the ball over to sophomore Brittany Wagner (Oregon City, Ore.) for the game's final three outs.

Eastern Oregon would get a 2-for-3 performance from Ashleigh Byrne, while McDonnell went the opening 5.2 innings allowing seven runs (six earned) on seven hits before turning the ball over to Whitney Hodges for the final two outs.

Corban will return to the diamond on Saturday, April 10th, for a mid-morning double header against the NAIA's No. 6-ranked Cavaliers of Concordia beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Warrior Field.