KIRKLAND, Wash. – The No. 25 Corban University softball team bounced back from three-straight losses in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play with authority, as the Navy and Gold swept Northwest University on Saturday afternoon. In game one, the Warriors took care of the Eagles in six innings, 11-1, before muscling out a 7-4 triumph in game two.

"The girls really did a lot of things well today on both sides of the ball," stated head coach Nathan Ohta. "They had good approaches at the plate and hit some balls pretty hard, played very good defense, and our pitchers really controlled the games. It's always good to get a couple wins on the road in our conference, and this puts us in a good place going into our homestand next weekend."

No. 25 Corban 11, Northwest 1 (Six Innings) – Game One

Game one saw an explosive offensive outing by Corban and a dominant pitching performance by junior hurler Emily Buhrkuhl (Stockton, Calif.), as the Warriors compiled 15 hits en route to the 11-1 victory.

Senior third baseman Kyrianna Sorensen (Salem, Ore.) was on fire, as she led Corban with a 4-for-4 effort at the dish, while sophomore catcher Danielle Ackerman (Dallas, Ore.) finished 3-for-4 in game one. Meanwhile, senior right-fielder RaeAnna Dorcas (Everett, Wash.) batted 2-for-3 with three RBI, including a two-run homer in the first frame.

In the circle, Buhrkuhl was unstoppable for Corban, as she struck out seven batters and held the Eagles to only three hits in five innings. 

The Warriors started the contest on the right foot, as they tallied four hits and four runs in the top of the first inning. In her first at-bat, Sorensen ripped an RBI single to right field to drive home Ackerman for Corban's first run of the afternoon. With two runners on, Dorcas blasted a two-run homer to left field to give Corban a 4-0 advantage.

Although Northwest second baseman Darian Godfrey belted a solo homer in the first, Buhrkuhl's arm held the Eagles hitless in the second, third, and fourth innings, as she collected four strikeouts and forced four groundouts in the frames.  

In the top of the fifth, Corban tacked on two more runs, as Sorensen hit an RBI double to score sophomore second baseman Anne Binschus (Gig Harbor, Wash.) who also reached on a double. After Sorensen stole third, junior designated hitter Jamie Costa (Tracy, Calif.) launched an RBI single to left field to extend the Warriors' lead to five (6-1).

After Buhrkuhl held Northwest scoreless in the bottom half of the fifth, Corban began to pull away, as the Navy and Gold exploded for five runs and four hits in the sixth frame. After the Warriors loaded the bases with only one out, Sorensen delivered an RBI single, and then Ackerman advanced home on an Eagle error to give Corban an 8-1 lead. The Warriors went on to tally another run following a passed ball, and then sophomore left-fielder Kylie Durre (Bend, Ore.) ripped a two-run double to cap Corban's five-run frame.

With an 11-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth, freshman hurler Sabrina Boyd (Pleasant Hill, Ore.) escaped a jam with two runners on, as she forced two fly outs and a popout to win the game for Corban due to the mercy run rule.

No. 25 Corban 7, Northwest 4 – Game Two

In game two of the twinbill, the Warriors held off a late rally by the Eagles, and Boyd collected her first-career save, as Corban defeated Northwest, 7-4.

Both junior shortstop Kali Van Cleave (Portland, Ore.) and sophomore left-fielder Taylor Eilders (Cameron Park, Calif.) recorded two hits in the victory, and Eilders also notched her third homer of the 2015 campaign in the seventh frame. Meanwhile, Sorensen stayed red-hot at the dish, as she banked a team-high three RBI thanks to a long ball in the sixth frame.

Junior lefty Jessica Holsinger (Eagle, Idaho) improved to 7-1 on the year, as she mustered five strikeouts in six innings for the Navy and Gold. To close out the game, Boyd collected a hitless inning in the seventh to register the first save by any Corban pitcher this season.

The Warriors claimed an early 2-0 lead after Owen scored in the first on an Eagle throwing error and then Van Cleave belted a one-run double to left center in the second frame. Meanwhile, Holsinger was solid in the circle, as she held Northwest to only one hit and zero runs in the first four innings.

In the fifth, Dorcas opened a two-out rally with a double to center field. After Durre reached on a walk, Costa hit an RBI single to put Corban on top by three (3-0). Although the Eagles threatened in the bottom of the fifth with runners on the corners and only one out, Holsinger kept her composure, as she forced a groundout and a popout to retire the side.

Eilders opened the sixth with a single to right field, and she eventually reached second base on a passed ball. After two groundouts and a walk, Sorensen continued her torrid effort at the dish, as she belted a three-run shot to left field to grant the Navy and Gold a 6-0 advantage.

Northwest (8-14, 4-10 CCC) refused to bow down quietly, as the Eagles cashed in four runs in the bottom of the sixth, including a three-run double to cut Corban's lead to just two (6-4). In the seventh, however, Eilders gave the Warriors a little bit of insurance, as she knocked out a solo home run to give the Navy and Gold a 7-4 lead.

In the bottom half of the seventh, Boyd replaced Holsinger in the circle, and the freshman didn't disappoint, as she compelled a trio of groundouts to lock up a 7-4 victory for Corban.

The Navy and Gold (26-9, 9-4 CCC) returns to action on April 4 for a doubleheader against Eastern Oregon University in Salem, Ore. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 2 p.m.