BOX SCORE

SALEM, Ore. – Sophomore Rachel Conard (Merlin, Ore.) ended an extra-inning affair with her first home run of the season via a walk-off three-run blast over the right field fence, as Corban's softball team picked up a come-from-behind 6-3 win in 10 innings over Western Oregon Wednesday at Warrior Field.

The Warriors opened the game falling behind 3-0 after three-in-a-half innings before Corban's bats came alive. Sophomores Stephanie Nippert (Rocklin, Calif.) and Tamara Feb (Oregon City, Ore.) hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to pull Corban within a single run (3-2). Nippert began the scoring with her team-leading eighth home run of the season over the left field fence before Feb unleashed a shot over the scoreboard in left center that traveled nearly 300 feet for her first four-bagger of the season.

One inning later, freshman Courtney Castronovo (Salem, Ore.) uncorked her second home run of the season via a lead-off solo shot over the center field fence to tie the score at 3-3. Neither team would score again in regulation, as the game would go into extra innings pushing all the way to the 10th when the international tie-breaker rule would go into effect.

In the top of the 10th inning, Western Oregon would begin with a runner on second and Andrea Bailey at the plate. Bailey would take the third pitch that she saw into right field where Castronovo relayed to sophomore Erica Fitzgerald (Beaverton, Ore.), who threw Kendra George out at home as she was attempting to score the go-ahead run.

The bottom of the 10th inning would begin with Corban placing junior Emma Winckler (Eltopia, Wash.) on second before Nippert was intentionally walked putting runners on first and second with no outs. Following a line out by Feb, Conard ended the game with her first home run as a Warrior.

Offensively, Castronovo and junior Abbie Pynch (Stayton, Ore.) led Corban with two hits each to go along with single hits by Nippert, Feb, Conard, Fitzgerald, and freshman Lounette Jackson (Escalon, Calif.). Senior Makenzie Marchbanks (Sweet Home, Ore.) went the distance for Corban allowing three earned runs on 10 hits, while striking out a game-high nine WOU batters.

Western Oregon was led offensively by Bailey with a 4-for-5 performance, while Jessica Hallmark accounted for two of the Wolves' three runs via her team-leading fourth home run of the season. Jessica Wood went the opening 4.0 innings for WOU allowing three earned runs on five hits with a team-high six K's before Alex Hillmick took over for the final 5.1 innings. Hillmick would suffer the heart-breaking loss, as she allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with one strikeout.

With today's result, Corban improves to 8-7 overall and Western Oregon evens its record at 7-7. The Warriors will return to action on Saturday, March 12th, in a 1:00 p.m. double header against Simpson University at Warrior Field in Salem.