BOX SCORES – CORBAN V. SIMPSON | CORBAN V. HOLY NAMES | CORBAN V. MENLO

REDDING, Calif. – Corban's No. 23-ranked softball team closed out play at the annual Simpson University Invitational with a pair of wins against California Pacific Conference members Holy Names and Menlo Saturday at Big League Dreams Park.

The Warriors combined for five home runs on the day with junior Stephanie Nippert hitting three, while senior Emma Winckler registered her third of the season and sophomore Courtney Castronovo added another in Saturday's opener.

GAME #1 – SIMPSON 7, CORBAN 6

In the Warriors' lone loss at the two-day, 16-team tournament in Northern California, Nippert and Winckler led Corban's offense with a combined five hits. Nippert went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBI, while Winckler collected a pair of hits to go along with Castronovo's second home run of the season. Junior Liane DeHart and sophomore Lounette Jackson would also collect hits in the game, while senior Abbie Pynch registered the Warriors' other RBI.

Freshman Jessica Slate would suffer the loss going the opening 4.1 innings allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits before turning the ball over to juniors Amy Greenough and Chelsea Schriber for the final 1.2 combined innings.

The first inning would begin with a bang for Corban, as the Warriors put three runs on the board thanks to a two-run home run by Nippert and a dropped fly ball by Simpson that allowed Winckler to score the third run of the frame to give Corban an early 3-0 lead.

Corban would extend its lead to four runs (4-0) in the top of the third inning when Castronovo connected on a two-out, solo home run.

In the bottom of the third inning, Simpson would cut its deficit in half with a pair of runs when Aleisha Brown registered a two-out single to center field before moving to third on a Brooke Quaife single to right. During thre Redhawks' next at-bat, both Brown and Quaife would score on a dropped fly ball by Corban's third baseman followed by an errant throw that made the score 4-2 in favor of the visiting Warriors.

Simpson would take the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning when Quaife ripped a RBI single to center field that brought home Nicole Hutchins. After a Corban pitching change, the Redhawks executed a perfect double steal with Brown swiping home to bring tie the score at 4-4. Following the double steal, Nicki Feuerbach belted a two-run home run over the center field wall to give Simpson the lead for good (6-4).

In the top of the sixth inning, Corban would get within a single run (6-5) when Pynch was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded allowing junior Rachel Conard to score.

Simpson would cap the scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning when Quaife brought home Hutchins with an infield single to second base following Hutchins' leadoff single to center field that made the score 7-5.

Corban attempted a last-inning comeback in the top of the seventh inning when Nippert belted her second home run of the game over the center field wall to leadoff the inning and bring the Warriors within a single run (7-6). Unfortunately, that would be as close as Corban would get despite a single by Winckler.

Brown and Quaife would lead Simpson's offense with three hits each, while Hayley Rodriguez went the opening 5.1 innings allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits before turning the ball over to Morgan Davis for the final 1.2 innings. Rodriguez would pick up the win, while Davis earned the save for the Redhawks.

GAME #2 – CORBAN 3, HOLY NAMES 2

Against the Hawks of Holy Names, Corban withstood a late rally to return to its winning way with a one-run victory that was highlight by a pair of two-hit performance by Nippert and Winckler that included her third home run of the season.

Corban would score first in the top of the second inning via Winckler's one-out, solo home run before adding another run in the top of the fourth inning on a run-scoring double by freshman AmyLee Perrine that made the score 2-0 in favor of the Warriors.

In the top of the fifth inning, Corban added its final run of the game via a RBI single through the left side by Castronovo that pushed the Warriors' lead to three runs (3-0).

Holy Names would answer back in the bottom of the fifth inning with a pair of runs via a RBI single by Jordynn Elwood that scored Hailey McGuigen to make the score 3-1 in favor of Corban. On the play, Taylor Cruz rounded third on the play heading home before she was pulled back to the base by her coach causing interference and an automatic out. The very next batter – Allison Snider – stepped the plate and ripped a RBI single that scored Elwood from second and made the score 3-2.

Over the final two innings, both teams combined for only two hits as Corban's starting pitcher – junior Chelsea Schriber – held Holy Names without a run to pick up her first victory as a Warrior.

Schriber went the distance allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with a game-high eight strikeouts.

Holy Names was led offensively by Kaitlyn Stutz with a pair of hits, while Nicole Ochoa went the distance for the Hawks allowing three earned runs on eight hits with five K's.

GAME #3 – CORBAN 9, MENLO 4

To close out play at this year's Simpson Invitational, Corban earned revenge on the Lady Oaks for the Warriors' 8-4 loss two days ago in Atherton thanks to a three-hit performance by Nippert that included record her team-leading fifth home run of the season and four runs batted in.

Following two scoreless innings, Corban jumped out a two-run lead in the top of the third inning with the opening run coming via a sacrifice bunt by Castronovo that brought home junior Brittany Chestnut after her leadoff single opened the at-bat. The very next batter – senior Emma Winckler – drove in the Warriors' second run on a single to bring home junior Chynna Sandhop and put Corban up 2-0.

In the bottom of the third inning, Menlo answered with a pair of runs of its own starting with a leadoff solo home run by Nicole Larson. Three batters later, Shannon Chapman tied the score with a RBI single that brought home Ululani Reyes and knotted things at 2-2.

Menlo would take the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning on Emmeline Wang's two-run home run after a Warrior fielding error to make the score 4-2 in favor of the Lady Oaks.

Wasting no time in coming back, Corban got a two-run home run from Nippert in the top of the fifth inning that also scored Sandhop after she walked to leadoff the inning. Nippert's fifth home run of the season would tie the score once again at 4-4.

In the top of the sixth inning, Corban exploded for five runs on three hits that included a two-run double by Nippert that put the Warriors up by four runs (8-4). One batter later, Nippert capped the game's scoring when she stole third and then came home on an error by Menlo for the final score of 9-4.

Schriber would go the opening 4.0 innings for Corban allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits before turning the ball over to Slate for the final three innings. Slate would pick up the win, as she threw a perfect three innings in relief with a pair of strikeouts.

Menlo was led offensively by Larson and Kayla Cisneroz, as the duo registered two hits each. The Lady Oaks' Mikayela Viramontes went the opening 5.0 innings allowing four earned runs on six hits before giving way to Tricia Davidson for the final two innings. Davidson would suffer the loss, as she allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits with three K's.

After playing eight games in three days, Corban bring a win-loss record of 6-2 back to Oregon's Capital City and will return to action at the annual Northwest Cup hosted by Concordia University-Portland. The Warriors will begin play in the two-day tournament on Saturday, February 18th, against the University of British Columbia at 11:00 a.m. at Hood View Park in Clackamas.