ASHLAND, Ore. – With a twinbill split against the Raiders of Southern Oregon University on Sunday afternoon, the No. 23 Corban University softball team carded its place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) postseason tournament. After winning a ten-inning thriller in game one, 6-4, the Warriors came up short in game two, 4-3.  

"Starting in the 10th inning today created a sudden death situation with a lot of pressure," said head coach Nathan Ohta. "The girls came out with a lot of intensity to put that game away, and really carried that throughout the day. That win locks up both a playoff spot and the seeding we need to essentially get a first round bye in the conference tournament, so it was a big day for us."   

No. 23 Corban University 6, Southern Oregon 4 (10 Innings) – Game One

Corban used two runs in the top of the tenth inning and solid performances from its bullpen to clinch a 6-4 victory in game one. The contest was suspended on Saturday afternoon after the ninth inning due to heavy rain and continued on Sunday.

Sophomore left-fielder Taylor Eilders (Cameron Park, Calif.) led Corban with a remarkable performance at the dish, as she batted 5-for-5 in game one. Sophomore second baseman Anne Binschus (Gig Harbor, Wash.) went 3-for-5 with two RBI, while senior third baseman Kyrianna Sorensen (Salem, Ore.) compiled a 2-for-4 effort, including a solo homer in the sixth.

Corban used three pitchers in the winning effort, and junior hurler Danielle Horne (Vacaville, Calif.) collected her fifth victory of the 2015 campaign, as she only allowed one hit in 1.2 innings. Freshman pitcher Sabrina Boyd (Pleasant Hill, Ore.) compiled a pair of strikeouts in 4.2 innings for the Navy and Gold, while junior righty Emily Buhrkuhl (Stockton, Calif.) tossed for 3.2 frames and collected two strikeouts as well.

After a pair of scoreless innings by the two CCC schools, Southern Oregon compiled a pair of runs in the third to take a 2-0 advantage. However, Corban fired right back in the fourth, as junior designated player Jamie Costa (Tracy, Calif.) belted an RBI single up the middle to score sophomore first baseman Kylie Durre (Bend, Ore.).

In the fifth, Southern Oregon tacked on another run to take a 3-1 lead, and the Raiders threatened to score more with the bases loaded. That's when Boyd stepped into the circle for the Navy and Gold, and the youngster forced a two-out lineout to retire the side.

Sorensen opened the top of the sixth with a solo home run to left field to pull the Warriors to within one (3-2). After Boyd tossed a hitless inning, Corban tallied two more runs in the seventh to leap to a 4-3 advantage. Sophomore center-fielder Annie Owen (Corvallis, Ore.) started the frame with a leadoff single, and then Binschus mustered an RBI double to right center to tie the game at three apiece. Sorensen continued to smack hits when Corban needed it most, as the senior delivered an RBI single to score freshman pinch runner Maddy Melton (Salem, Ore.) and give the Navy and Gold its first lead of the game (4-3).

Just three outs away from its third-straight triumph over Southern Oregon, things got a little dicey in the bottom of the seventh for the Navy and Gold. The Raiders opened their rally with a leadoff triple by junior third baseman Alexa Gonzalez to put the winning run at the plate.Junior-right fielder Krystina Pardoski scrapped an RBI double to tie the contest at four apiece, and Southern Oregon proceeded to load the bases with only one out after two intentional walks. But Boyd continued to battle in the circle, and the righty forced a lineout turned into a two-out sequence, as Pardoski got caught in a pickle between third and home, and Warriors got the final out of the frame to force the game into extra innings.

Southern Oregon had another opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the ninth, as the Raiders put runners on the corners with just one out. With Horne in the circle, junior center-fielder Megan Winton lined into a double play, as Binschus fired it over to Durre at first base for the final out of the frame to keep Corban alive.

The Warriors utilized a little Saturday night rest and opened up Sunday with three singles and two runs to claim a 6-4 lead in the top of the tenth. Eilders opened the frame with a single to right field and eventually reached third base on a Raider fielding error. Freshman pinch hitter Jaslyn Rush (Stockton, Calif.) hit an RBI single, and with a runner on third, Binschus delivered an RBI single to give the Warriors a two-run (6-4) advantage.

In the bottom of the tenth, Horne kept the Raiders hitless to lock up the 6-4 victory for Corban.

Southern Oregon 4, No. 23 Corban 3 – Game Two

Corban rode a three-run lead in game two until the seventh inning, as the Raiders recorded three hits and four runs in the final inning to steal one from the Navy and Gold.

Both Owen and Durre notched solo home runs in the losing effort to carry Corban's offense, while Costa, sophomore pinch hitter Raimee Sluder (Longview, Wash.), and sophomore catcher Danielle Ackerman (Dallas, Ore.) also registered hits for Corban.

In the circle, Boyd dropped to 5-3 on the season, while junior pitcher Jessica Holsinger (Eagle, Idaho) tallied six strikeouts in four innings for the Warriors.

After both teams went hitless in the first two innings, the Warriors drew blood in the second frame after Durre scored to give Corban a 1-0 lead. Durre struck again in the fourth frame with a solo shot to center field for her third homer of the season to extend the Navy and Gold's lead to two (2-0).

In the first four frames, Holsinger yielded just two hits to keep Southern Oregon at bay. Meanwhile, Corban continued its aggressive approach to the plate, as Owen belted a solo homer down the left field line to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Boyd replaced Holsinger in the circle to give the lefty a well-deserved breather. The Raiders had an opportunity to score in the bottom of the sixth after freshman shortstop Kelsey Randall hit a two-out single with two runners on, but senior left-fielder Shelby Mauermann (Clackamas, Ore.) fired the ball to Ackerman to tag out freshman left-fielder Davalin Ontiveros and keep Southern Oregon scoreless.

In the bottom the seventh, the Raiders (30-20, 11-11 CCC) bounced back with four runs to pull off the upset. After Ontiveros tied the game with an RBI single to center, junior center-fielder Megan Winton scored on a Corban fielding error to dial the come-from-behind victory for Southern Oregon.

Corban (32-12, 15-7 CCC) returns to the field on April 14 for a twinbill against Northwest Christian University in Eugene, Ore. First pitch for game one is set for 2 p.m.