BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

LA GRANDE, Ore. – In its Cascade Collegiate Conference opener against Eastern Oregon, Corban's softball team pounded out a combined 30 hits in the double header en route to a pair of wins, 11-3 and 12-4, Friday at Anderson Field.

Sophomore Stephanie Nippert (Rocklin, Calif.) and freshman Courtney Castronovo (Salem, Ore.) combined for six hits each on the afternoon, while junior Emma Winckler (Eltopia, Wash.) registered five hits over the two games.

In the finale, Nippert and Castronovo etched their names in the record books. In the top of the fourth inning, Nippert hit her ninth home run of the season and 20th of her young career becoming the all-time home run leader in program history. During the same inning, Castronovo belted her second home run of the game to drive in a team-high seven RBI and in the process surpassed the old single-game record of six runs batted in.

GAME #1 – CORBAN 11, EASTERN OREGON 3

In the opener, Corban took an early 3-0 lead after the opening two innings when Nippert scored the game's opening run on an error following her single up the middle and team-leading 10th stolen base of the season. Freshman Lounette Jackson (Escalon, Calif.) and sophomroe Liane DeHart (Kent, Wash.) would bring home the Warriors' second and third runs in the top of the second inning via a double and single, respectively, that handed the visiting Warriors an early three-run lead.

Eastern Oregon would cut into Corban's lead in the bottom of the third via an unearned run on the Warriors' lone error of the game that made the score 3-1 in favor of the visiting team.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Warriors would push their lead to four runs (5-1) on run-scoring hits by Nippert and sophomore Rachel Conard (Merlin, Ore.).

The host Mountaineers would put another run on the board in the bottom of the fourth when pitcher Jennifer McDonnell connected on a lead off home run that pulled EOU within three runs (5-2).

In the top of the fifth inning, Corban would once again take a four-run lead (6-2) when junior Abbie Pynch (Stayton, Ore.) scored on a wild pitch following her single through the left side.

The visiting Warriors would put the final nails in Eastern Oregon's coffin in the top of the seventh inning when Nippert drove home DeHart with a double to left center before coming home on a single by sophomore Tamara Feb (Oregon City, Ore.) that pushed the score to 8-2. The very next batter – Winckler – cleared the bases with a shot that hit the ground 25 feet beyond the outfield fence. After Winkler's home run, Castronovo capped the Warriors' scoring with her third long ball of the season via a pop fly that caught the high winds that were gusting at 20 miles per hour and fell on the other side of the fence to push the score to 11-2 in favor of Corban.

Nippert and Castronovo each collected three hits, while all nine batters registered at least one hit in the opener. Senior Makenzie Marchbanks (Sweet Home, Ore.) picked up her fifth win of the season via her sixth complete game of the season allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits with a game-high 12 strikeouts.

Eastern Oregon would add its last run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a single up the middle by Ashli Hughes that capped the game's scoring and made the final difference eight runs, 11-3.

The host Mountaineers were led offensively by Emily Anderson with a 2-for-3 performance, while four other EOU players – Maribeth Watanabe, Hughes, Wailana Buchanan, and McDonnell – collected a hit each in the opener. McDonnell went the distance in the circle for Eastern Oregon, allowing 11 runs (four earned) on 16 hits to go along with seven K's.

GAME #2 – CORBAN 12, EASTERN OREGON 4 (5 INNINGS)

In today's finale, Eastern Oregon got the first two runs in the bottom of the first thanks to a run-scoring hit by Hughes followed by a sacrifice fly by Buchanan that made the score 2-0 in favor of the home team.

Corban wasted no time in taking the lead, as the Warriors would get a lead off single to center field by Winckler before Castronovo belted her second home run of the afternoon that knotted the score at 2-2. The very next batter – sophomore Erica Fitzgerald (Beaverton, Ore.) – would give Corban a one-run lead (3-2) with her first home run of the season.

Eastern Oregon would knot the game for the third and final time in the bottom of the second inning when on a home run by Stephanie Maestretti that evened the score at 3-3.

In the top of the third inning, Castronovo would bring home the eventual game-winning run via a double to left field before Jackson pushed the Warriors' lead to four runs (7-3) with a run-scoring double.

One inning later, Nippert would belt career home run #20 via a solo shot over the left field fence before Castronovo capped her afternoon with her fifth home run of the season – a three-run shot over the right center field fence – that pushed her single-game total to seven runs batted in and moved the score to 11-3 in favor of the visitors.
 
Corban would finish up its scoring in the top of the fifth inning when Feb singled home Nippert with a hit into left field that pushed the Warriors' advantage to nine runs (12-3).

Eastern Oregon would attempt to extend the game in the bottom of the fifth, but junior reliever Brittany Wagner (Oregon City, Ore.) held the Mountaineers to a single run en route to securing the eight-run mercy-rule victory (12-4).

Nippert, Castronovo, and Winckler each collected three hits in the finale, while Conard added a pair of hits. In the circle, Winkler went the opening 4.0 innings allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits with three strikeouts before turning the ball over to Wagner for the game's final three outs.

The host Mountaineers were led offensively by Hughes with a 2-for-3 performance that included a pair of RBI, while Jessy Reynolds went the opening 3.1 innings for EOU allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits before turning the ball over to Suzie Espinoza for the final 1.2 innings of work.

With today's results, Corban pushes its season-high winning streak to five games and improves to 10-7 overall and 2-0 in Cascade Collegiate Conference games. Meanwhile, Eastern Oregon falls to 3-10 overall and opens its league schedule at 0-2. The Warriors will be back in action tomorrow – Saturday, March 19th – against The College of Idaho beginning at 11:00 a.m. in Caldwell, Idaho.