BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

SALEM, Ore. – Senior Stephanie Nippert hit a walk-off grand slam in the opener and drove in a combined five runs, as Corban's No. 17-ranked softball team extended its winning streak to 10 games with a sweep of Southern Oregon, 6-3 & 8-0, Saturday on Warrior Field.

Corban (23-5, 13-1 CCC) got a combined three hits from Nippert and fellow senior Brittany Chestnut, while junior Courtney Castronovo belted her seventh and eighth home runs of the season in the double header. Every Warrior starter had at least one hit on the afternoon, as junior Lounette Jackson was the only other Corban player with multiple hits against the Raiders.

Sophomore Jessica Slate got the start in Game #1 for Corban, as she allowed three earned runs on six hits in 3.0 innings of work before turning the ball over to senior Amy Greenough. In 4.0 innings of work, Greenough allowed just one hit by SOU en route to earning her sixth win of the season. In the finale, senior Chelsea Schriber went the distance allowing just two hits in 5.0 innings of work with a game-high four strikeouts en route to earning her team-leading 10th win of the year.

Southern Oregon (11-12, 7-3 CCC) was led offensively by Irene Barrantes and Sierra Anderson with two hits each, while Julia Willison was the bright light for the Raiders' offense with her second home run of the season in the opener.

In the circle for SOU, Sydney White went the distance in Game #1 allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits with a game-high four strikeouts. The duo of Karlie Stephens and Chelsea Talbert combined to pitch the finale, as Stephens allowed six earned runs on three hits in 0.2 innings of work before Talbert took over in the circle. In 3.1 innings of work, Talbert allowed two earned runs on five hits.

GAME #1 — CORBAN 6, SOUTHERN OREGON 3

In Saturday's opener, Corban would get on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Fitzgerald led off with a single to center field before advancing to second on an error on the play. One batter later, Jackson would give the host Warriors a 1-0 lead on a run-scoring double to right center that allowed Fitzgerald to score from second base.

Southern Oregon would get on the board in the top of the fourth inning when Ashley Lowe registered a one-out single followed by another single off the bat of Stephanie Vandenbusch. One batter later, Willison would crush a ball over the left field fence to score both Lowe and Vandenbusch to give the visiting Raiders a two-run lead (3-1).

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Castronovo crushed a one-out home run over the left field fence to pull Corban within a single run (3-2).

Neither team would score again until the bottom of the seventh inning when Corban loaded the bases with one out. Following a strikeout by SOU's pitcher, Nippert stepped to the plate and battled through a 10-pitch at-bat before depositing the 11th pitch that she saw approximately 270 feet away from home plate over the center field fence for her NAIA-leading 15th home run of the season and first walk-off bomb of the year. Nippert's round-tripper gave Corban a three-run victory (6-3) and pulled her within eight of tying the NAIA's all-time career mark.

Nippert and Jackson would lead the Warriors' offense with two hits each, while Nippert drove in a game-high four runs. Three other Corban players – Chestnut, Fitzgerald, and Castronovo – also collected hits in the win.

Southern Oregon would get two hits from Barrantes, while Willison drove in a team-high three runs for the Raiders on her home run in the fourth inning.

GAME #2 — CORBAN 8, SOUTHERN OREGON 0 (5 INNINGS)

In the weekend's finale, Corban would score early with the Warriors plating six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Senior Rachel Conard would bring home the eventual game-winning run via a bases loaded walk before Fitzgerald lifted a sacrifice fly into center field that scored senior Chynna Sandhop for the 2-0 lead for the host Warriors. Castronovo would step to the plate next and belted her eighth home run of the season over the left field fence via a three-run blast that scored Nippert and Conard for a 5-0 lead for Corban. After a double to center field by sophomore Kyrianna Sorensen, Southern Oregon made a pitching change that did not stop the Warriors as senior Liane DeHart and Sorensen executed a perfect double steal for Corban's final run pushing its lead to 6-0 after the first inning.

Both teams would be locked in a pitcher's dual over the next two innings until Corban scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Chesnut and Sandhop registered back-to-back singles to open the at-bat before Nippert drove in her fifth RBI of the day via a double to right center that put the Warriors ahead by the score of 7-0. One batter later, Fitzgerald lifted a sacrifice fly into right field that allowed Sandhop to score Corban's eighth run of the game.

Despite a one-out walk by Southern Oregon in the top of the fifth inning, Corban's defense and pitching were up to the challenge getting the Raiders without a run being scored for the 8-0 victory.

Chestnut would lead Corban's offense with a 2-for-3 performance, while six other Warriors registered a hit each to go along with a three-RBI showing by Castronovo.

For Southern Oregon, Alexa Gonzalez and Anderson were the only Raiders to register a hit against Schriber.

Corban will return to the diamond on Wednesday, March 27th, in a non-conference double header against NCAA Division III member Puget Sound beginning at 2:00 p.m. in Tacoma, Washington.