BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

SALEM, Ore. – Junior Chelsea Schriber and freshman Jessica Slate pitched back-to-back shut outs, as Corban's nationally-ranked softball team swept the visiting Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon, 8-0 in six innings & 4-0, Saturday on Warrior Field.

With today's victories, Corban improves to 21-9 overall and evens its Cascade Collegiate Conference record at 6-6. Meanwhile, Eastern Oregon falls to 8-14 overall and 4-10 in league games.

Offensively, juniors Rachel Conard and Stephanie Nippert each registered three combined hits with Conard scoring three runs and registering a team-best four runs batted in that included her second home run of the season in the finale. Nippert would also added a pair of runs and one RBI, while sophomore Courtney Castronovo collected two hits to go along with base hits by junior Liane DeHart, sophomore Lounette Jackson, and junior Erica Fitzgerald in the opener.

GAME #1 – CORBAN 8, EASTERN OREGON 0 (6 INNINGS)

In the opener, Corban would get on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Conard drew a leadoff walk before advancing to second on a fielding error by EOU. Two batters later, Fitzgerald would bring home Conard with a single to center field giving the host Warriors an early 1-0 lead.

One inning later, Corban added four runs on three hits with Jackson driving home Nippert on a single to left center before Conard scored on a throwing error by the Mountaineers giving the Warriors a three-run lead (3-0). After a stolen base by senior Emma Winckler, Castronovo ripped a single to left field to score freshman pinch-runner Shelby Mauermann with Winckler also scoring on a fielding error by EOU's left fielder for a 5-0 lead.

The bottom of the fourth inning would see Corban add two more runs to the board, as Nippert ripped a run-scoring single to right field to bring home junior Brittany Chestnut after she reached on another EOU error to start the inning. A pass ball would advance Nippert to second before she came home on Conard's single up the middle for a seven-run Warrior lead (7-0).

Corban would end the game in the bottom of the sixth inning when DeHart led off with an infield single before stealing second and coming home on a single up the middle by Conard that scored the Warriors' eighth run to invoke the eight-run mercy rule after five innings.

Conard, Nippert, and Castronovo each recorded two hits in the opener, while Slate went the distance allowing just five hits to go along with a pair of strikeouts.

Eastern Oregon was led offensively by five different players with a hit each, while Alex Hillmick went the distance allowing eight runs (three earned) on nine hits in 5.1 innings of work. Hillmick also recorded a game-high eight K's in the process.

GAME #2 – CORBAN 4, EASTERN OREGON 0

In the finale, Corban's offense would produce all the necessary runs in the bottom of the third inning when junior Chynna Sandhop doubled home Chestnut before Conard belted her second home run of the season over the center field fence for a three-run lead (3-0) for the host Warriors.

Corban would add another run in the bottom of the fifth inning, as senior Abbie Pynch led off with a single up the middle before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Chestnut. Sitting at second with one out, Pynch would come home on a single to right field by Sandhop capping the game's scoring with Corban securing the four-run victory (4-0).

Sandhop would be the offensive leader in Game #2, as she registered a pair of hits with Schriber allowing only two hits in a complete game victory that included a game-high six strikeouts.

Eastern Oregon would get hits from Georgianna Kelly and Stephanie Maestretti, while Kayla Anderson suffered the loss going the distance allowing four earned runs on six hits with a pair of K's.

Corban will return to action on Friday, April 13th, against the visiting Raiders of Southern Oregon beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Warrior Field.