Stephanie Nippert
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With one swing of the bat in the fifth inning of Game #2, senior Stephanie Nippert moved to the top of the all-time home runs list among four-year players in the state of Oregon by belting career No. 74 Friday against Eastern Oregon.

Softball

Nippert Sets All-Time Oregon Home Run Mark Against EOU

BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

LA GRANDE, Ore. – Senior Stephanie Nippert became the all-time career home run leader among all four-year players in the state of Oregon Friday with a pair of home runs against Eastern Oregon, as No. 8-ranked Corban split with the Mountaineers, 2-3 & 6-0, at Peggy Anderson Field.

Nippert, who already owns the career record for home runs in both Corban and Cascade Collegiate Conference history, etched her name in the state of Oregon record book when she belted her 74th career home run in Game #2. At the same time, Nippert also became the first player in school and conference history to hit 20-or-more home runs in three straight seasons and pulled within a mere two home runs of tying the NAIA's career mark of 76.

Corban (29-9, 14-2 CCC) was led offensively by Nippert, who batted in the leadoff spot for the first time in her illustrious career, with a combined three hits to go along with five runs batted in. Fellow senior Erica Fitzgerald also collected a pair of hits on the afternoon, while four other Warriors – senior Chynna Sandhop, senior Rachel Conard, senior Brittany Chestnut, and junior Lounette Jackson – also tallied a hit each on the afternoon.

In the opener, senior Amy Greenough went the distance for Corban allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits despite suffering her third loss of the season. Senior Chelsea Schriber would toe the rubber for all 7.0 innings in Game #2, as she allowed just three hits en route to picking up her team-leading 12th win of the year.

Eastern Oregon (12-25, 3-17 CCC) was led offensively by Katie Martell with three hits, while Mariebeth Watanabe added a pair of hits in the double header.

Game #1 would see Alex Hillmick match Greenough's performance, as she also went the distance allowing two earned runs on two hits to go along with a game-high six strikeouts en route to picking up her fourth win of the season. Game #2 would see Kayla Anderson go the opening 4.1 innings for Eastern Oregon, as she allowed six earned runs on six hits with a game-high four K's before turning the ball over to Tailor Snow for the final 2.2 innings of work.

GAME #1 — EASTERN OREGON 3, CORBAN 2

Friday's opener would be a pitcher's dual throughout, as Eastern Oregon got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Sarah Jackson led off with a solo home run over the center field fence to give the host Mountaineers an early 1-0 lead.

In the top of the third inning, Corban would battle back to tie the game at 1-1 thanks to a RBI single to center field by Nippert that allowed Chestnut to score after she reached on a fielder's choice one batter earlier.

Corban would take the lead (2-1) in the top of the fourth inning when Fitzgerald ripped a single through the left side that allowed Conard to score after she was hit by a pitch one batter earlier.

The game would remain a one-run affair until the bottom of the sixth inning when Eastern Oregon put together a two-out rally that began with a RBI single up the middle by Martell that tied the game at 2-2. Jackson would step to the plate and would take advantage of an error by Corban that allowed Martell to score the eventual game-winning run, as the host Mountaineers took a one-run lead (3-2) into the seventh inning.

With one final chance to either extend or win the game, Corban would get Nippert on via her second walk of the game before Eastern Oregon induced a game-ending double play via a line out that pick off at first base. The host Mountaineers grabbed their second win in the past 14 games against Corban dating back to the 2010 season with today's 3-2 victory.

Nippert and Fitzgerald would collect Corban's only two hits in the opener, as both players drove in runs for the visiting Warriors.

Four Mountaineers – Watanabe, Martell, Jackson, and Rachel Hatzell – collected hits, while Jackson and Martel drove in two of EOU's three runs in the game.

GAME #2 — CORBAN 6, EASTERN OREGON 0

The finale on Friday would be a different story for Corban, as the visiting Warriors scored six runs on seven hits and took advantage of the long ball.

In the top of the third inning, Corban would take the lead for good (3-0) when Chestnut and fellow senior Liane DeHart got on base via a single down the left field line and a walk before Nippert stepped to the plate and belted a three-run home run over the center field fence for the eventual game-winning runs.

Two innings later, Nippert would step into the record books with a solo home run to leadoff Corban's at-bat before Conard belted her eighth home run of the season two batters later via a two-run shot down the right field line that extended the Warriors' lead to six runs (6-0).

Eastern Oregon never threatened Corban's pitching or defense, as the host Mountaineers put a runner at third only in the bottom of the first inning.

Nippert's 2-for-3 performance that included a pair of runs scored and four RBI was the spark plug of Corban's offense, while Conard would drive in the Warriors' other two runs thanks to a 1-for-3 showing at the plate.

Martell led Eastern Oregon's bat-attack with a two-hit performance, while Watanabe was the only other Mountaineer to collect a hit against Corban's pitching.

Corban will return to the diamond tomorrow – Saturday, April 13th – against The College of Idaho in a late-morning double header beginning at 11:00 a.m. (Mountain Standard Time) at Symms Field in Caldwell, Idaho.
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