BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

EUGENE, Ore. – For the first time since the 2006 season, Corban's softball team has qualified for the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament thanks to a sweep over conference rival Northwest Christian, 11-3 & 9-2, Friday at Morse Field.

With today's result, Corban set a new single-season school-record for wins with 22 in 43 games that includes a season-ending seven-game winning streak. The Warriors also posted the second-best record in Cascade Collegiate Conference play thanks to a 14-8 win-loss mark. Meanwhile, Northwest Christian has its season come to an end with an overall record of 20-26 and 10-14 in league play.

Freshman Stephanie Nippert (Rocklin, Calif.) led the Warriors' offense with a combined 7-for-9 performance that included her freshman-record tying 10th home run of the season. The first-year Corban player also scored six runs and recorded five RBI, while fellow freshman Tamara Feb (Oregon City, Ore.) and Liane DeHart (Kent, Wash.) combined to go 7-for-15 with five runs scored and five runs batted in.

In the circle, junior Makenzie Marchbanks (Sweet Home, Ore.) and sophomore Brittany Wagner (Oregon City, Ore.) each pitched complete games as the duo allowed a combined five runs (four earned) on 17 hits. Marchbanks would post her team and conference-leading 20th complete games, while Wagner secured her ninth win of the season.

GAME #1 – CORBAN 11, NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN 3

The opener would begin with Corban scoring one run in the first inning on a Feb RBI double to right center that allowed Nippert to score following her single to right field.

Northwest Christian would quickly regain the lead (3-1) on a Emma Armstrong three-run triple in the bottom of the second allowing Brittany Robles, Rebecca Lillegard, and Amy Stanton to score after the host Beacons loaded the bases.

In the top of the fourth inning, Corban would grab the lead for good thanks to eight runs on seven hits with three NCU errors. The biggest blow came off the bat of freshman Erica Fitzgerald (Beaverton, Ore.), as she belted her fourth home run of the season via a two-run blast over the left field fence. Once all the dust had settled, Corban had secured a six-run lead (9-3).

The visiting Warriors would close out the game's scoring on a RBI single to right center by senior Rachel Kazmierski (Eugene, Ore.) in the top of the sixth inning before junior Jessie Jones brought home Corban's 11th and final run of the game on a run-scoring double in the top of the seventh inning.

Nippert would go a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored, while Feb was the only other Warrior to register more than one hit in the opener.

GAME #2 – CORBAN 9, NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN 2

The night cap saw Corban score three early runs on RBI hits off the bats of DeHart, Nippert, and Kazmierski for an early 3-0 lead after its first at-bat.

Northwest Christian would get two runs back in the bottom of the first before scored three more runs on Nippert's three-run home run that made the score 6-2 in favor of the visitors.

Corban would score another run in the top of the third inning when DeHart drew a bases loaded walk making the score 7-2.

The Warriors would bring home the game's final two runs on a Feb RBI single to center field before Nippert stole home on a double steal for the final margin of seven runs (9-2).

Nippert would once again lead Corban's offense with a 3-for-5 performance that included three runs scored and four RBI, while DeHart, Feb, and senior Jessica Schell (Portland, Ore.) all registered two hits in the game.

Corban ended its season at 22-21 overall and will now wait to see the outcome of Sunday's Oregon Tech-Concordia game to see who its opponent will be on Friday, May 7th, in the opening round of the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament at Delta Park in Portland.

NOTE: Stay tuned to GoWarriorsGo.com for further details about next weekend's three-team post-season tournament that will involve 2010 regular season champions Concordia, Corban, and a third team to be determined later.