BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

SALEM, Ore. – The NAIA's No. 17-ranked Corban softball team moved into a three-way tie for first place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference standings following a double header sweep of The College of Idaho, 3-2 & 7-3, Friday at Warrior Field.

Corban (15-5, 5-1 CCC), who is tie with No. 9-ranked Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon atop the conference standings, was led Friday by senior Rachel Conard with a combined 3-for-6 performance that included two runs scored and six run batted in. Fellow senior Stephanie Nippert belted her team, conference, and NAIA-leading 10th home run of the season en route to helping the host Warriors win Game #1, while three other Warrior seniors – Brittany Chestnut, Erica Fitzgerald, and Chynna Sandhop – each had multiple hits on the afternoon.

In the circle for the opener, sophomore Jessica Slate went the distance to pick up her fourth win of the season allowing two earned runs on seven hits to go along with a game-high six strikeouts. In the finale, senior Chelsea Schriber went the opening 6.0 innings allowing three earned runs on eight hits with a game-high five K's before turning the ball over to fellow senior Amy Greenough for the game's final three outs.

The College of Idaho was led offensively by by Molly Mills and Rachael Strong with three hits each, while Nickayla Skinner and Cortni Pena pitched back-to-back complete games for the visiting Coyotes. Skinner went the distance in Game #1 allowing three earned runs on seven hits with four K's, while Pena allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits with three strikeouts in the finale.

GAME #1 — CORBAN 3, COLLEGE OF IDAHO 2

In the opener, Corban would get on the scoreboard early with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning when Chestnut led off with a double to left center before moving to third on a bunt single by Sandhop. After Sandhop stole second, Conard would step to the plate one batter later and ripped a two-run double to left center that scored Chestnut and Sandhop for a 2-0 Corban lead.

The College of Idaho would strike back in the top of the third inning when Strong roped a two-out single to right center before coming home on McKensie Stanton's second home run of the season that cleared the left field fence to tie the score at 2-2.

Neither team would score again over the next three inning, as Slate and Skinner were locked in a pitcher's dual.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Nippert would lead off the Warriors' at-bat with a bomb over the left center field fence for her 63rd career home run that put Corban ahead by a single run (3-2).

Despite C of I getting runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Corban's pitching and defense was up to the challenge getting the game's final out on a foul out to first base to preserve the hard-fought one-run victory (3-2).

Fitzgerald would lead Corban's offense with a 2-for-3 performance, while five other Warriors – Chestnut, Sandhop, Nippert, Conard, and junior Courtney Castronovo – each collected hits for the home team.

The College of Idaho was led offensively by Mills and Strong with two hits each, while Stanton drove in the Coyotes' only two runs of the game.

GAME #2 — CORBAN 7, COLLEGE OF IDAHO 3

In the finale, Corban would score early once again putting a single run on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Chestnut reached on an error before moving to second via a stolen base. After an intentional walk to Nippert, Conard ripped a run-scoring double to right center that advanced Nippert to third and scored Chestnut for a 1-0 Warrior advantage. Corban would added more runs if not for a superb defensive play by C of I's Stanton, who executed a double play via a catch in left field and a bullet throw home to get the final out of the inning to keep the Coyotes within a single run.

Unfortunately for C of I, Corban's offense could not be held down in the bottom of the second inning when the host Warriors loaded the bases with no outs and got a run-scoring single by Chestnut before Nippert drew a walk to make the score 3-0 in favor of Corban. With Warriors still occupying all three bases, Conard would step to the plate and blasted a grand slam over the center field fence to put the host Warriors ahead by seven runs (7-0) after just two innings of play.

The College of Idaho would not go quietly into the night, as the Coyotes scored a single run in the top of the third inning on a RBI double to right field by Ashley Van Horne that scored Strong and pull C of I within six runs (7-1).

In the top of the fifth inning, The College of Idaho put two more runs on the board when Skinner ripped a two-run double to left center that scored Van Horne and Paige Gabiola to pull the Coyotes within four runs (7-3).

After neither team scored in its next at-bat, Corban nearly ended the game in the bottom of the sixth inning when Sandhop laid down a bunt single and Nippert drew her third walk of the game putting runners on first and second. The Warriors' very next batter – Conard – almost ended the game with one swing of the bat, as she belted a deep fly into right field that C of I's Kayla Webb grabbed just before it went over the fence for a potential game-ending three-run home run.

Despite to defensive heroics by The College of Idaho, Corban's defense would not allow a comeback by the Coyotes despite a lead off single by Gabiola. The host Warriors would bear down and get the next three C of I batters consecutively to end the game with a four-run victory (7-3) and the double header in a sweep.

Offensively, Conard was the hero for Corban with a 2-for-3 performance that included five RBI and four other Warriors – Chestnut, Sandhop, sophomore Kyrianna Sorensen, and junior Lounette Jackson – each collected hits for the home team.

The College of Idaho would see nine different players register a hit, as Skinner drove in a pair of runs for the Coyotes.

Corban will return to the diamond tomorrow – Saturday, March 16th – against the visiting Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon in a late morning double header that begins at 11:00 a.m. on Warrior Field in Salem.