SALEM, Ore. – After a one-year hiatus, the No. 24 Corban University softball team is back in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament, as the third-seeded Warriors will battle second-seeded Concordia University on Friday in Klamath Falls, Ore. First pitch against the Cavaliers is set for 11:30 a.m.
Presented by U.S. Bank, the CCC Tournament will be hosted by Oregon Tech, as the Owls notched the regular-season title by one game over the Cavaliers. The tournament is set to take place May 1-3.
Tournament Central Page
The Navy and Gold enters Friday's matchup with a 35-15 overall record and an 18-10 mark in CCC play. The 35 victories marks the second-highest win total in program history, and the Warriors have tallied six wins over ranked opponents this season.
With the third-highest batting averaging in the CCC, junior Jamie Costa (Tracy, Calif.) has been Corban's most consistent hitter with a .461 average. Costa ranks first in the CCC in slugging percentage (.868), and she is also second on the team in home runs with nine long bombs in the 2015 campaign.
Senior Kyrianna Sorensen (Salem, Ore.), who has swung for a .391 average, is sixth in the CCC in both home runs (11) and runs batted in (48). With 40 RBI on the season, sophomore Anne Binschus (Gig Harbor, Wash.) is first on the team in doubles with 15, while sophomore Taylor Eilders (Cameron Park, Calif.) is batting .382 on the year and has tallied 10 hits in her last 21 at-bats.
Corban's bullpen has been lethal in the circle, as the Warriors have held teams to a .265 batting average, good enough for second in the CCC. Junior hurler Emily Buhrkuhl (Stockton, Calif.) has compiled a team-high 13 victories to go along with 72 strikeouts in 103.0 innings for the Navy and Gold.
Junior lefty Jessica Holsinger (Eagle, Idaho) is fourth in the CCC in strikeouts (102) and has mustered a 10-3 overall record, while junior pitcher Danielle Horne (Vacaville, Calif.) has registered a team-high three saves and is third in the CCC with an earned run average of 2.35. Meanwhile, freshman righty Sabrina Boyd (Pleasant Hill, Ore.) has made the most of her first season of collegiate softball with six wins and 38 strikeouts.
No. 16 Concordia is enjoying its best season yet, as the Cavaliers have compiled a school-record 40 wins en route to a second-place finish in the CCC with a 21-7 record. In a back-and-forth rivalry, Corban has registered a 10-10 record against Concordia since 2012.
The Cavaliers have been led offensively by freshman Kelsie Merritt, as the Nevada native has recorded a team-best .389 batting average to go along with nine RBI. Both senior Kate Santos and sophomore Taylor Bussey have 12 homers on the year, while sophomore Meghan Luebbert has booked a team-best 58 RBI.
Much of Concordia's pitching success has been credited to senior Lucy Baldovino, as she has collected a CCC-best 22 wins on the year and a team-best 3.19 earned run average. Her win total is also good enough for fourth in the NAIA.
Corban will be seeking its second trip to the NAIA National Tournament in school history, while Concordia will be looking to reach the tournament for the third-straight year.
The CCC Tournament will work in double-elimination fashion, meaning once a team loses two games it will be eliminated. The champion of the tournament will earn the CCC's automatic bid to the NAIA Opening Round, which is set to begin on May 11.
To watch the live video stream for each CCC Tournament contest, click here. The schedule for the tournament is as follows:
2015 CCC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT BRACKET
Friday, May 1st
Game 1 @ 9:00 a.m. – No. 4 University of Great Falls vs. No. 5 Southern Oregon University
Game 2 @ 11:30 a.m. – No. 2 Concordia University vs. No. 3 Corban University
Game 3 @ 2:00 p.m. – No. 1 Oregon Tech vs. Winner of Game 1
Game 4 @ 4:30 p.m. – Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (loser eliminated)
Saturday, May 2nd
Game 5 @ 11:00 a.m. – Winner of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 3
Game 6 @ 1:30 p.m. – Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3 (loser eliminated)
Game 7 @ 4:00 p.m. – Loser of Game 5 vs Winner of Game 6 (loser eliminated)
Sunday, May 3rd
Game 8 @ 11:00 a.m. – Winner of Game 5 vs Winner of Game 7
Game 9 @ 30 minutes after completion of Game 8 (if needed)
