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CLACKAMAS, Ore. – The NAIA's No. 17-ranked Corban softball team combined to hit seven home runs in its final two games at the Northwest Cup, as the Warriors pushed their winning streak to six games with wins over Simpson and Puget Sound Sunday at Hood View Park.

Corban (8-2) got three home runs from senior Stephanie Nippert, two by senior Rachel Conard that included a walk-off solo bomb against Simpson, and two long balls from junior Courtney Castronovo. Nippert led the Warriors' offense with a combined 5-for-7 showing at the plate with four runs scored and eight runs batted in, while Castronovo and senior Brittany Chestnut collected three hits each in the double header.

In the circle, senior Amy Greenough got the start against Simpson allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits in 5.1 innings of work before fellow senior Chelsea Schriber took over going 1.2 innings allowing just a walk en route to picking up her team-leading third win of the season. Against Puget Sound, freshman Samantha Gutwig got the start allowing three earned runs on five hits in 4.0 innings of work before turning the ball over to fellow freshman Danielle Horne for the game's final three outs.

GAME #1 – CORBAN 7, SIMPSON 6

In Sunday's opener against fellow NAIA member Simpson, Corban allowed the Redhawks to get on the board first when Ryan Norton drew a one-out walk before advancing to third on a double to right center by Chelsea Dunn. Simpon's very next batter – Kara Wall – would reach on a fielding error by Corban that allowed Norton to come home with the game's first run giving the Redhawks an early 1-0 lead.

Corban would waste little time erasing Simpson's lead, as Chestnut registered an infield single and then immediatly stole second before the next pitch was thrown. Senior Chynna Sandhop would draw a walk placing runners at first and second before Nippert belted her fourth home run of the season over the left center field fence to put the Warriors ahead by two runs (3-1).

Neither team would score again until the top of the fourth inning when Simpson put three runs on the board thanks to a lead off solo home run by Dunn before Marisa Marmolejo belted a two-run home run to center field three batters later to give the Redhawks a one-run lead (4-3).

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Castronovo would tie the game at 4-4 with a lead off home run over the right field fence for her first round tripper of the season.

Simpson would answer with two runs in the top of the sixth inning when Wall roped a one-out double down the right field line before lifted for pinch-runner Taylor Hill. Shaley Madruga would bring home Hill with a run-scoring single through the right side before Marmolejo put Simpson ahead by two runs (6-4) one batter later allowing pinch-runner Darby Sanchez to score from second.

In the bottom half of the sixth inning, Castronovo would bring Corban within a single run (6-5) with her second home run of the game that flew over the left field fence. Three batters later, Corban had runners at second and third with one out when Chestnut lifted a sacrifice fly to left field that allowed junior Lounette Jackson to score the tying run knotting the game at 6-all.

Despite a one-out walk in the top of the seventh, Corban's defense held up to set up the last at-bat heroics by Conard.

In the bottom of the seventh inning after Nippert fouled out to right field, Conard blasted a solo home run to straight away center field for her first home run of the season giving the Warriors the hard-fought one-run win (7-6).

Dunn and Marmolejo led Simpson's offense with a pair of two-hit performances, while Hayley Rodriguez went the opening 6.0 innings allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits. Katie Bell would get the ball in the seventh inning and registered one out before allowing the game-winning run to score en route to suffering her first loss of the season.

GAME #2 – CORBAN 11, PUGET SOUND 3 (5 INNINGS)

In Corban's final game at the Northwest Cup, the Warriors scored in every inning en route to an eight-run mercy-rule win over the NCAA Division III Loggers from Puget Sound.

Corban would put four runs on the board in the top of the first inning, as Nippert belted her first of two home runs on the afternoon via a two-run shot over the center field fence before Conard concluded the back side of back-to-back long balls by the Warriors that gave Corban a quick 3-0 lead. Two batters later, sophomore Kyrianna Sorensen singled to right field allowing Castronovo to score following her single to center field to give the designated visiting team a 4-0 lead.

Puget Sound would put one run on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Lisa Colombo scored on a wild pitch after she led off the at-bat with a walk.

In the top of the second inning, Corban would added two more runs to go ahead by the score of 6-1 on Nippert's sixth home run of the season via a two-run bomb over the left field fence that also scored Sandhop after she walked.

Corban would add a single run in the top of the third inning when Chestnut doubled to center field scoring Sorensen, who led off the inning with a walk as the Warriors went ahead by six runs (7-1).

After a sacrifice fly by sophomore AmyLee Perrine in the top of the fourth inning that extended Corban's lead to seven runs (8-1), Puget Sound pulled within four runs (7-3) in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run home run off the right field foul pole by Marissa Jeffers that also scored Brianna Huber following her lead off single to left field.

In the top of the fifth inning, Corban would take on the game's final three runs for the game-ending margin of eight runs (11-3) on a run-scoring double to right field by Nippert before she scored on a wild pitch one batter later. Senior Erica Fitzgerald would end the scoring on a RBI double to left center that scored freshman McCayla Hoffman after she walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch that scored Nippert.

Chelsea Lindroth led Puget Sound's offense with a perfect 2-for-2 performance, while Shannon Reed went the distance for the Loggers allowing 11 runs (10 earned) on 13 hits to go along with a game-high three strikeouts.

Corban will take a much-needed break for the next 12 days before returning to the field against NCAA Division II member Western Oregon on Friday, March 1st, in an afternoon double header that begins at 1:00 p.m.on Warrior Field in Salem.