BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

MEDFORD, Ore. – Junior Erica Fitzgerald hit a game-winning solo home run in the top of the seventh inning of Game #1 before a walk-off solo shot by the Hustlin' Owls in the finale led to a split between No. 16-ranked Corban and No. 5-ranked Oregon Tech, 2-1 and 5-6 in eight innings, Friday at U.S. Cellular Field.

Thanks to Corban's win in the opener, fifth-year head coach Nathan Ohta earned career win No. 100 becoming the first coach in program history to hit the century mark in victories. Ohta has led the Warriors to back-to-back 20-win seasons each of the past two years, including a pair of appearances in the CCC Championship Series.

With today's double header split, Corban moves to 17-5 overall and 2-2 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. Meanwhile, Oregon Tech goes to 18-4 overall and 1-1 in league games.

On the afternoon, junior Stephanie Nippert went a combined 3-for-6 with a run scored and one RBI.

Junior right-handed pitcher Amy Greenough went the distance for the Warriors in the opener allowing one unearned run on three hits to go along with six strikeouts en route to earning her team-leading seventh win of the season. In the night cap, junior Chelsea Schriber went the opening four innings allowing one earned run on three hits before freshman Jessica Slate and Greenough combined to pitch the final three innings. Greenough would suffer the heart-breaking loss, as she allowed three earned runs on three hits in 2.1 innings of work.

GAME #1 – CORBAN 2, OREGON TECH 1

Corban would get on the scoreboard first when Nippert drove in junior Brittany Chestnut with a run-scoring single to center field after Chestnut reached on an OIT error before advancing to second on a ground out.

Neither team would score again until the bottom of the fourth inning when Oregon Tech's Jess Plummer opened the frame reaching base on an error before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt. Plummer would advance to third on a ground out before coming home with the game-tying run on a single to left field by Sara Coates making the score 1-1.

Corban had a chance to take the lead in the top of the sixth inning when junior Chynna Sandhop reached on another OIT error before advancing to second on Nippert's second hit of the game. Unfortunately, both runners would be stranded as Oregon Tech got out of the inning via a line out that kept the score knotted at 1-apiece.

Greenough would hold Oregon Tech's offense at bay in the bottom of the sixth inning to set up the final inning heroics by Fitzgerald.

Oregon Tech was led offensively by Shauna Collins with a 2-for-3 performance, while Taylor Schmidt went the distance for the Owls allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits with a game-high 10 K's.

GAME #2 – OREGON TECH 6, CORBAN 5 (8 INNINGS)

In the finale, Corban jumped out to a quick four-run lead (4-0) after four-and-a-half innings of play thanks to a two-run home run by sophomore Lounette Jackson in the top of the fifth inning.

Unfortunately, Oregon Tech would earn three runs back in the bottom of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Collins before Ashleigh Larson belted a two-run home run to pull the Hustlin' Owls within a single run (4-3).

Corban would gain one run back in the top of the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Chestnut that scored Sandhop after she reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning, as the visiting Warrior took a two-run lead (5-3).

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Coates registered a game-tying two-run home run that knotted the game at 5-all.

Neither team would score in the seventh inning, as the game went into extra innings with Oregon Tech holding Corban scoreless in the top of the eighth inning.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, OIT's Jess Plummer ended the game with one swing as she belted a solo home run over the left field fence to help the Owls preserve a split with a one-run victory (6-5).

Six different Corban players registered a hit with Jackson driving in a team-high two runs.

Oregon Tech was led offensively by Coates with a 2-for-3 performance that included a pair of RBI, while Morgan Barnes went the opening six innings allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits before Schmidt went the final two innings allowing a single hit en route to picking up the victory.

Corban will return to action tomorrow – Saturday, March 24th – with a conference double header against the Raiders of Southern Oregon beginning at 11:00 a.m. in Ashland.