BOX SCORE

PORTLAND, Ore. – Corban's No. 11-ranked softball team had its magical and record-breaking season come to an end with a loss to No. 10-ranked Saint Xavier, 10-2 in five innings, in the winner-take-all championship game of the Concordia (Ore.) Bracket as part of the NAIA Opening Rounds played Wednesday at Delta Park.

Corban, who ended the season at 43-15 overall, was led offensively by a trio of Warriors – senior Brittany Chestnut, senior Liane DeHart, and junior Courtney Castronovo – with a hit each that included a two-run home run by Castronovo for the lone runs of the game for Corban.

The senior pitching duo of Amy Greenough and Chelsea Schriber would combine to pitch 5.0 innings, as Greenough allowed four unearned runs on four hits in 1.0 innings in the circle with Schriber allowing six earned runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings of work.

Nicole Nonnemacher was the offensive leader for Saint Xavier with a perfect 3-for-3 showing with three runs scored, while Kate Mollohan drove in a game-high four RBIs on a pair of doubles.

Nonnemacher would get the start for Saint Xavier allowing two earned runs on three hits in 5.0 innings of work to go along with a game-high three strikeouts.

Saint Xavier would get the scoring started in the top of the first inning, as the Cougars pushed three runs across the plate on a sacrifice bunt by Mollahan that scored Nonnemacher before Amanda Hainlen brought home Kasey Kanaga on another sacrifice bunt. Shannon Lauret would end SXU's scoring in its opening at-bat with a two-run double down the left field line that scored Ashley Sullivan and Mollahan to give the Cougars a four-run lead (4-0).

In the bottom of the first inning, Chesnut registered a one-out single to shortstop before Castronovo blasted her 15th home run of the season via a two-run bomb over the center field fence to pull the Warriors within two runs (4-2).

Unfortunately that would be as close as Corban would get, as Saint Xavier scored six unanswered runs over the final four innings highlighted by a pair of run-scoring doubles by Mollahan in the second and fifth innings.

With today's win, Saint Xavier moves onto the NAIA Softball Championships final site on May 24-30 in Columbus, Georgia.

Meanwhile, Corban's season comes to an end with the Warriors setting single-season records in total wins (43), Cascade Collegiate Conference victories (24), and fewest conference losses (4). Corban also captured its first-ever regular season conference title, as the Warriors were ranked as high as No. 8 in the country on four seperate occasions during the year.

Senior Stephanie Nippert was named CCC Player of the Year for the third straight season, as the fourth-year Warrior hit a single-season school and conference-record 30 home runs bringing her career-ending total to a all-time NAIA record 83.

Corban will now turns its attention to next season, as the Warriors will have to replace eight seniors that have helped put the program on the map nationally.