KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - For the first time in program history, the No. 24 Corban University softball team claimed the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament Championship, as the Warriors rebounded from a game-one defeat to No. 12 Oregon Tech with an 8-6 triumph over the Owls in a winner-take-all showdown. The Navy and Gold also notched an automatic berth to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship Opening Round.
"What a great effort from the girls today," said head coach Nathan Ohta. "They played their hearts out all weekend and put together a huge ball game to win this tournament. All five of the teams here were very talented, and we knew it was going to take a lot of heart, effort, and determination to win, and our girls showed they have that. I'm so proud of them and happy they get to enjoy this moment."
No. 24 Corban 8, No. 12 Oregon Tech 6 - Game Two
In a back-and-forth battle, Corban had to fight until the very end, as the Warriors utilized six runs in the fifth and sixth innings and held off a late Oregon Tech rally to become the 2015 CCC Tournament champions.
Corban saw home runs by both sophomore center-fielder Annie Owen (Corvallis, Ore.) and senior third baseman Kyrianna Sorensen (Salem, Ore.). For Owen, it was her third home run of the CCC Tournament, while Sorensen notched her 12th homer of the 2015 campaign with a three-run shot in the sixth inning.
Senior right-fielder RaeAnna Dorcas (Everett, Wash.) finished with a pair of hits and two RBI, including a critical two-run double in the fifth inning to give the Warriors the lead for good. Sophomore left-fielder Taylor Eilders (Cameron Park, Calif.) batted 3-for-4 with one RBI, while both sophomore second baseman Aubrene Blas (Sparks, Nev.) and sophomore catcher Danielle Ackerman (Dallas, Ore.) logged one hit in the victory.
In the circle, junior pitcher Danielle Horne (Vacaville, Calif.) improved to 7-2 on the season after facing five batters and yielding just two hits in one inning of action. Junior lefty Jessica Holsinger (Eagle, Idaho) collected her third-career save, as she registered six strikeouts in six innings for the Navy and Gold.
The Warriors started the game on fire, as they tallied two runs in the top of the first to take an early lead. For the second-consecutive contest, Owen opened the game with a solo home run to center field in the Warriors' first at-bat. After Ackerman singled and eventually advanced to third on two wild pitches, Eilders mustered an RBI single down the right-field line to give Corban a 2-0 lead.
Although Oregon Tech responded to take a 3-2 lead, Corban bounced back with two runs in the top of the fifth to regain the advantage. With runners on first and second, Dorcas ripped a two-run double to left field to drive home Eilders and senior pinch runner Shelby Mauermann (Clackamas, Ore.).
The Navy and Gold continued to push in the sixth, as it recorded four runs and two hits in the frame take an 8-3 lead. With two runners on, Sorensen smashed a three-run shot on the first pitch to center field to give Corban a 7-3 advantage, and as the senior crossed home plate, she received a warm welcome from an electric Warrior dugout. Moments later, the Navy and Gold added an insurance run, as Eilders stole home for Corban's eighth run of the ball game.
Oregon Tech refused to bow down without a fight, as sophomore designated player Cassidy Hoglund launched a three-run homer with one out in the bottom of the seventh to make the game interesting. However, Holsinger continued to battle, as the lefty struck out sophomore shortstop Karly LeVeque and forced a groundout to seal the CCC Tournament Championship for the Navy and Gold.
Corban (38-16) finished the contest with 11 hits compared to nine by Oregon Tech (41-14), and the Owls left 11 runners stranded in the defeat.
For just the second time in school history, the Warriors will compete in the NAIA Opening Round. In 2013, Corban clinched the CCC regular-season title en route to its inaugural appearance in the NAIA tournament.
No. 12 Oregon Tech 16, No. 24 Corban 2 (Five Innings) - Game One
Earlier in the day, Corban suffered its biggest defeat of the 2015 campaign, as the Navy and Gold fell to Oregon Tech, 16-2. Despite the loss, the Warriors remained in the hunt for a title due to the tournament's double-elimination structure.
Corban was led by Owen's 1-for-3 effort, including a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. Dorcas batted 1-for-2 with one RBI, while Ackerman, Sorensen, Blas, and junior shortstop Kali Van Cleave (Portland, Ore.) tallied one hit apiece for the Warriors.
In the circle, junior pitcher Emily Buhrkuhl (Stockton, Calif.) got tacked with the loss after yielding five earned runs in the top of the first inning. Freshman righty Sabrina Boyd (Pleasant Hill, Ore.) pitched four innings for Corban and collected one strikeout in the losing effort.
After the Owls compiled six hits and plated five runs in the top of the first, the Warriors responded immediately with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Owen opened the frame with a solo shot to left-center field on a 1-2 count, and with runners on the corners, Dorcas ripped an RBI single to pull Corban to within three (5-2).
Unfortunately for Corban, those two runs would be its last of the contest, as Oregon Tech raced to a 16-2 triumph in five innings. The Owls out-hit the Navy and Gold, 19-6, en route to forcing a decisive game two later that day.
The Warriors return to action on May 11 for the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. The opponent, location, and time are to be determined.
