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REDDING, Calif. – The NAIA's No. 17-ranked Corban softball team picked up four wins in six games at the season-opening Big League Dreams Softball Tournament hosted by Simpson University over the weekend in Northern California.

Offensively, Corban (4-2) was led by senior Erica Fitzgerald with seven hits in 18 at-bats with senior Stephanie Nippert and junior Courtney Castronovo also collecting seven hits. Seniors Brittany Chestnut and Liane DeHart tallied six hits each over the weekend, while senior Chynna Sandhop collected five hits. In the circle, senior Chelsea Schriber collected a pair of victories in a combined 14.1 innings allowing five runs (two earned) on 11 hits. Fellow senior Amy Greenough and sophomore Jessica Slate both earned victories for the Warriors, while the freshman duo of Samantha Gutwig and Danielle Horne pitched a combined 6.2 innings.

GAME #1 – CORBAN 3, ARIZONA CHRISTIAN 0

In the season-opener, Slate pitched a complete game, one-hitter en route to earning a 3-0 victory over Arizona Christian. The second-year Warrior struck out eight batters and allowed an infield single as the lone hit by the first-year Firestorm program from Phoenix.

Offensively, Chestnut and DeHart each registered a pair of hits for the Warriors with sophomore AmyLee Perrine collecting a pinch-hit two-run double in the sixth inning after Sandhop drove in the eventual game-winning run with a RBI single in the fifth inning.

GAME #2 – CONCORDIA-IRVINE 1, CORBAN 0

Against the NAIA's No. 5-ranked Concordia-Irvine, Corban was held to just three hits in a pitcher's dual between Schriber and CUI's Courtney Young. Schriber allowed just one earned run on three hits with three K's, while Young struck out eight Warrior hitters en route to earning the shutout victory.

Nippert, Fitzgerald, and DeHart were the only Warriors to register hits against the nationally-ranked Eagles, while DeHart and Chestnut both tallied stolen bases for Corban.

GAME #3 – CORBAN 12, BIOLA 0

In Corban's final game on Friday, the Warriors' bats came alive collecting 12 runs on 19 hits that included the team's first home run of the season via a two-run blast off the bat of Sandhop. Offensively, four Warriors – Chestnut, Conard, Fitzgerald, and Castronovo – each had three hits with DeHart going 2-for-3 at the plate. Conard and Castronovo each collected three RBI, while Sandhop drove in a pair via her home run in the fifth inning.

Pitching-wise, Greenough went the opening five innings before turning the ball over to Gutwig and Horne for the final six outs.

GAME #4 – CORBAN 4, MENLO 3

To open play on Saturday, Corban continued its winning way behind the offensive production of Nippert and Castronovo with each collecting two hits that included Nippert's first home run of the season bringing her career total to 54 round-trippers.

Schriber went the opening five innings for Corban in the circle allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits before turning the ball over to Slate for the final two innings.

GAME #5 – WILLIAM JESSUP 6, CORBAN 0

Despite a perfect 3-for-3 performance by Nippert, Corban's offense was non-exisistent in a loss to nationally-ranked William Jessup. Besides Nippert, sophomore Shelby Mauermann was the only other Warrior to register a hit in a 1-for-1 showing.

Greenough went the distace for Corban in the circle allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits with one K.

GAME #6 – CORBAN 4, BRITISH COLUMBIA 3 (8 INNINGS)

In the weekend finale, Corban needed extra innings, a two-run home run by Chestnut, and a defensive play that threw out the potential game-tying run to earn the hard-fought one-run victory over UBC. Castronovo would tie the game in the top of the seventh inning on a see-eye single to left field before Chestnut belted a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning giving the Warriors a 4-2 cushion. In the bottom half of the eighth inning, Alana Westerhof drove home Cassandra Dypchey making the score 4-3 before she was throw out at the plate by Sandhop two batters later to preserve the victory for Corban.

Gutwig got the start for Corban going the opening 4.2 innings allowing two earned runs on five hits before Schriber went the final 3.1 innings allowing one unearned run on three hits to pick up her second win of the weekend.

Corban will return to action next weekend at the two-day Northwest Cup hosted by Concordia University. The Warriors will begin their four-game stretch on Saturday, February 16th, against cross-town rival and NCAA Division III member Willamette beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Hood View Park in Clackamas.