BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

SALEM, Ore. – In the home opener for Corban's No. 17-ranked softball team, the Warriors picked up a sweep of NCAA Division II member Western Oregon, 8-0 in five innings and 8-6, Friday at Warrior Field.

Corban (10-2), who extends its winning streak to eight games, was led offensively by senior Stephanie Nippert with a combined 5-for-6 performance at the plate that included four runs scored and six runs batted in. Nippert also belted her team, conference, and NAIA-leading seventh and eighth home runs of the season, while three other Warriors – senior Brittany Chestnut, senior Chynna Sandhop, and junior Courtney Castronovo – had a combined three hits each in the double header.

In the circle for the Warriors, senior Amy Greenough went the distance in the opener allowing just six hits en route to picking up her third win of the season. Meanwhile, senior Chelsea Schriber went the opening 6.0 innings allowing three earned runs on 10 hits to pick up her team-leading fourth win of the season before sophomore Jessica Slate got the final three outs in the finale.

Western Oregon (7-12) got a 4-for-6 performance from Amanda Evola, while Hannah Pomeroy went the distance in the opener allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits with Stephanie Morgan pitching all six innings in the finale allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 11 hits.

GAME #1 – CORBAN 8, WESTERN OREGON 0 (5 INNINGS)

In Friday's opener, Corban would open the game by scoring a single run in the bottom of the first inning on a single through the left side by Nippert that scored Sandhop following her one-out double to left field making the score 1-0 in favor of the home team.

The host Warriors would blow the game wide open in the bottom of the second inning when Sandhop ripped a bases-loaded, run-scoring single to left field that brought home sophomore Shelby Mauermann before Nippert roped a two-run single up the middle that scored senior Liane DeHart and Chestnut to extend the lead to four runs (4-0). One batter later, senior Erica Fitzgerald collected a two-run single to right field that scored Sandhop and Nippert, as Corban extended its lead to six runs (6-0) after two innings of play.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Chestnut would lead off with an infield single before Nippert brought her home one batter later on her seventh home run of the season over the left field fence for the final margin of eight runs (8-0).

Nippert would lead Corban's offensive attack with a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate that included two runs scored and five RBI, while Sandhop was 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and one run batted in.

For Western Oregon, Evola was the only Wolf to collect more than one hit going 2-for-3 at the plate.

GAME #2 – CORBAN 8, WESTERN OREGON 6

The second game would be a different story for both teams, as Corban got on the board first when Chestnut scored on a throwing error by Western Oregon's right fielder before the visiting Wolves scored three runs in the top of the third inning on a run-scoring single by Melanie Pfeiffer and a two-run single by Pomeroy that put WOU up by two runs (3-1).

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Nippert would lead off with a bomb over the scoreboard in left field for her eighth home run of the season before sophomore Kyrianna Sorensen lifted a game-tying sacrifice fly into right field three batters later that scored freshman pinch-runner McCayla Hoffman making the score 3-3. One batter later, DeHart ripped a two-run single up the middle to score Fitzgerald and Castronovo putting the host Warriors ahead by two runs (5-3).

One inning later, Corban would add three more runs on Castronovo's third home run of the season that also scored Nippert and senior Rachel Conard following a lead off single and Conard's double, as the Warriors went ahead by the score of 8-3.

Western Oregon would attempt a comeback in the top of the seventh inning, as Bridjet Box lifted a bases loaded, two-out fly ball into left field that was dropped by Corban's outfielder allowing all three runners to score and pulled the Wolves within two runs (8-6). Fortunately for the host Warriors, Slate got WOU's final batter to foul out to first base to preserve the victory.

Four Warriors – Chestnut, Nippert, Conard, and Castronovo – each collected two hits, while Castronovo drove in a team-high three runs in the finale.

Western Oregon would get another 2-for-3 performance from Evola, while Pomeroy and Desiree Villegas both collected a pair of hits in the second game.

Corban will return to the diamond tomorrow – March 2nd – in a mid-morning double header against fellow NAIA member Simpson beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Warrior Field in Salem.

NOTE: Please notice the time change in tomorrow's game versus Simpson, as the weather forecast in showing potential showers throughout the day with the heavier rain falling later in the evening. Since the Redhawks are already in town, head coach Nathan Ohta decided to move the start time up two hours in an attempt to beat the heavier rain that is forecasted for later in the day.