BOX SCORE

PORTLAND, Ore. – Senior Stephanie Nippert became the second player in NAIA history to hit 30-or-more home runs in a single season, as Corban's No. 11-ranked softball team forced a second and final game at the Concordia (Ore.) Bracket opening round with a 10-7 win in eight innings over No. 10-ranked Saint Xavier Wednesday at Delta Park.

Corban (43-14) was led offensively by Nippert with a 2-for-3 performance that included a three-run and solo home run en route to driving in four RBIs and scoring two runs. Meanwhile, three other Warriors – senior Rachel Conard, senior Liane DeHart, and sophomore Kyrianna Sorensen – also collected a pair of hits to go along with home runs by both Conard and junior Lounette Jackson.

Senior Amy Greenough would get the start for Corban pitching the first five innings before coming in for the game's final two en route to a combined 7.0 innings of work allowing four runs (one earned) on eight hits. The relief duo of sophomore Jessica Slate and senior Chelsea Schriber combined to pitch 1.0 innings, as Slate allowed three earned runs on four hits in 0.1 innings of work and Schriber would get the final two outs of the sixth inning without allowing any runs.

Saint Xavier (48-7) would get three-hit performances from Nicole Nonnemacher, Ashley Sullivan, and Megan James to go along with a two-RBI showing by Nonnemacher.

Megan Nonnemacher went the distance for Saint Xavier allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits to go along with a game-high four strikeouts despite the senior giving up seven walks en route to suffering only her third loss of the season.

After Corban scored in the top of the first inning on a double steal by senior Brittany Chestnut and junior Courtney Castronovo, Saint Xavier took advantage of a pair of errors en route to scoring three runs and grabbed a two-run lead (3-1).

In the top of the third inning, Jackson would tie the game at 3-3 thanks to a one-out, two-out home run that also scored Conard following her single through the left side.

One inning later, Nippert would line drive a three-run home run over the left center field fence followed one batter later by a solo home run by Conard that put Corban ahead by four runs (7-3).

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Saint Xavier would take advantage of a two-run, ground-rule double by Nicole Nonnemacher that pulled the Cougars within two runs (7-5) before Amanda Hainlen was walked with the bases loaded making the score 7-6 in favor of Corban.

One inning later, James would tie the game at 7-7 thanks to an infield single that allowed Sullivan to score the game-tying run.

After Corban got out of a jam that could have ended the game, Nippert led off the eighth inning with a solo home run down the left field line for her 83rd career long ball that put the Warriors in front by a single run (8-7). Sorensen would extend Corban's lead to three runs (10-7) thanks to a two-run single to right field that scored sophomore Shelby Mauermann and freshman McCayla Hoffman, who were both inserted on the base paths as pinch runners.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Greenough would get the Cougars in order to preserve the victory and keep Corban's magical and record-breaking season alive.

Both teams will play a winner-take-all championship game later this afternoon beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Delta Park in Portland.

NOTE: The winner of the seventh and final game this week will earn the bracket's automatic berth at the national championships final site on May 24-30 in Columbus, Georgia.