BOX SCORE

ROCKLIN, Calif. – Sophomore Liane DeHart (Kent, Wash.) went 2-for-3 at the plate, but Corban's softball team dropped its first game of the season to the Warriors of William Jessup, 6-1, Thursday at Lone Tree Park in Northern California.

Along with DeHart, three other Warriors – sophomore Stephanie Nippert (Rocklin, Calif.), sophomore Rachel Conard (Merlin, Ore.), and junior Emma Winckler (Eltopia, Wash.) – collected hits for Corban with Nippert scoring the Warriors' lone run on an error by William Jessup.

After three scoreless innings, Corban struck first in the top of the fourth following a lead-off single to center field by DeHart. Unfortunately, DeHart was thrown out attempting to steal second just before Nippert roped a single to center field. Immediately following Nippert's base hit, Conard moved everyone up 60 feet with a single back to the pitcher. One batter later, Nippert and Conard executed a double-steal that caused an error by William Jessup's catcher allowing Nippert to score the game's opening run giving Corban a slim one-run lead (1-0).

In the bottom of the fourth inning, William Jessup tied the game at 1-all via an RBI single to left field by Samantha McMahan that brought Mallory Blodgett home for the game-tying run (1-1).

The very next inning, William Jessup blew the game wide-open with a five-run output on a pair of hits with the heart-breaker coming off the bat of McMahan via a bases-loaded triple to left field that cleared the bags and capped the games scoring giving the host Warriors a five-run lead (6-1).

Over the final two innings, Corban was held to a mere bunt single by DeHart to lead off the top of the sixth inning en route to suffering its first loss of the young season.

Junior Brittany Wagner (Oregon City, Ore.) suffered the loss for Corban going the opening 4.1 innings allowing three runs (all earned) on six hits before turning the ball over to junior Twyla Baggarley (Hillsboro, Ore.) for the final 1.2 innings. William Jessup's Erin Houston went the distance for the host Warriors allowing one unearned run on five hits to go along with a game-high 10 strikeouts.

With today's result, Corban falls to 1-1 overall and William Jessup improves to 3-6. The Warriors will return to the diamond tomorrow – Friday, February 11th – in the opening game of the Simpson Invitational against the NAIA's No. 1-ranked Lancers of California Baptist beginning at 9:00 a.m. at Big League Dreams Field in Redding, California.