BOX SCORE

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Junior Stephanie Nippert hit a pair of home runs and junior Erica Fitzgerald drove in five runs to lift Corban's softball team to an 11-2 win over Concordia in Game #1 of the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament Friday at the Softball Complex on the campus of Oregon Tech.

With today's victory, Corban improves to 31-12 overall and Concordia concludes its season with a win-loss record of 24-21.

In the CCC Tournament's elimination game, Nippert blasted her 21st and 22nd home runs on the season en route to breaking the CCC's career mark of 51 formerly held by OIT's Amanda Doherty. The third-year Warrior now has 52 career home runs and is tied for third along with Bellevue's Lindsey Bredar (2002-05) all-time in NAIA history behind Lubbock Christian's current star Kim Frazier (75-and-counting) and Bethel's Katie Boocher (2008-11) with 58 career home runs.

Offensively, Fitzgerald and Nippert each registered three hits to go along with two-hit performances by juniors Brittany Chestnut and Rachel Conard. Junor Chynna Sandhop and sophomore Lounette Jackson were the only other Warriors to record hits, as Nippert scored a game-high four runs.

After two scoreless innings by both teams to open the game, Corban finally got on the board in the top of the third inning when back-to-back singles by Chestnut and Sandhop began the at-bat before Nippert drove in the Warriors' first run via a double that scored Chestnut. After an intentional walk to Conard that loaded the bases with no outs, Fitzgerald ripped a two-run double to left field that plated Sandhop and Nippert for a 3-0 Corban lead.

In the bottom of the third inning, Concordia got a leadoff walk by Sam Genskay before she advanced to second on a wild pitch and came home on Kyndell Andrews' one-out, two-run home run over the left center field wall to pull the Cavaliers within a single run (3-2).

Corban would extend its lead to three runs (5-2) in the top of the fifth inning when Nippert led off with the record-tying 51st home run of her career via a solo blast over the right center field wall. Fitzgerald would then double home junior pinch runner Liane DeHart one batter later following a Concordia pitching change for a three-run Warrior advantage.

In the top of the sixth inning, Corban blew the game wide open with a four-run at-bat on three hits that included a two-run single to center field by Fitzgerald and another two-RBI single to center field by Jackson that extended the Warriors' lead to 9-2.

Corban would add its final two runs in the top of the seventh inning when Nippert etched her name into the conference record books with her second home run of the day and 52nd of her career via a two-run bomb to left field that scored Chestnut following a walk to start the inning for an 11-2 Warrior lead.

Junior Chelsea Schriber started the game for Corban and picked up her 12th win of the season allowing two earned runs on three hits in 5.0 innings of work before fellow junior Amy Greenough picked up the game's final six outs despite allowing one hit.

Concordia had four players – Tobery Varney, Andrews, Jordyn Brown, and Mary Lugar – that registered hits, while Ashley Suter suffered her ninth loss of the season allowing seven earned runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings of work with a game-high six strikeouts before Brown threw 1.2 innings allowing four earned runs on four hits.

Corban will move onto its third straight best 2-of-3 CCC Championship Series against No. 1-seed and the NAIA's No. 7-ranked Oregon Tech with a chance to claim the conference crown. The three-game series beginning today – Friday, May 4th – at 3:00 p.m. with Game #3 to begin Saturday, May 5th, at noon. Game #4, if needed, will begin 30 minutes after tomorrow's first contest.