BOX SCORE

PORTLAND, Ore. – Corban's softball team pulled within one win of advancing to the program's first-ever NAIA National Championship Friday with a 5-1 victory over the NAIA's No. 4-ranked Concordia, as all of the Warriors' runs came via the long ball.

With today's victory in the opening contest of the three-game Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship Series, Corban improves to 24-21 and pushes its school-record winning streak to nine games. Meanwhile, Concordia drops its fifth game of the season and falls to 32-5 overall.

Freshman Stephanie Nippert (Rocklin, Calif.) led Corban's offense with a 2-for-3 performance that included one run scored and three runs batted in, while five other Warriors – senior Rachel Kazmierski (Eugene, Ore.), senior Rebecca Franke (Pendleton, Ore.), freshman Liane DeHart (Kent, Wash.), freshman Tamara Feb (Oregon City, Ore.), and freshman Erica Fitzgerald (Beaverton, Ore.) – recorded a hit each with Feb, Kazmierski, and Nippert belting home runs in the win.

Junior Makenzie Marchbanks (Sweet Home, Ore.) picked up her second win of the day, as she went the distance allowing one earned run on six hits to go along with a team-high seven strikeouts.

Concordia would get on the board first when Cameron Way roped a single to center field that allowed Kayla Vickaryous to score from second for an early 1-0 lead following back-to-back walks to open the inning.

After settling down, Corban finally got on the board in the top of the fourth inning when Feb cranked her team-leading 11th home run of the season to lead off the at-bat before Kazmierski hit her first home of the season for the eventual game-winning run over the left field fence for a 2-1 Warrior lead.

In the top of the fifth inning, Franke led off with a single down the left field line before junior Jessie Jones (Gladstone, Ore.) reached via a Cavalier error. Following a strikeout, Nippert cranked her team-high tying 11th home run of the season via a three-run shot over the left field fence to cap the game's scoring (5-1) and handed Corban its second win of the season over the nationally-ranked Cavaliers.

Way and Tina Garcia led Concordia's offense with a pair of two-hit performances, while CCC Pitcher of the Year Renee Santos suffered the loss allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits in 4.1 innings of work before turning the ball over to Danielle Pulfrey for the game's final eight outs.

Both teams will return to the diamond tomorrow – Saturday, May 8th – for the final games of the CCC Championship Series at Delta Park in Portland with the first pitch scheduled to be thrown at noon.

NOTE: If Corban wins Game #1 tomorrow then the Warriors will advance to its first-ever NAIA Softball National Championship in Decatur, Alabama. Meanwhile, if Concordia wins Saturday's opening game then a third and deciding game will be played beginning at 3:00 p.m. or one hour after the final out.