HAPPY VALLEY, Ore. – Senior pitcher Jessica Holsinger (Eagle, Idaho) almost threw a no-hitter in game one, and then junior shortstop Iris Rodriguez (Warden, Wash.) led the comeback charge in game two as the No. 17-ranked Corban University softball team swept the Northwest Christian University Beacons on Wednesday at Hood View Park. After winning 4-1 in the opener, the Warriors scored six unanswered runs in game two en route to the 7-4 Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) triumph.
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"Today was one of those days offensively where the numbers really look good with 19 hits, three home runs, and 11 runs scored, but NCU did a nice job of scattering our hits, breaking up our momentum and making us really work to put runs on the board," said Corban head coach Nathan Ohta. "The girls kept grinding it out, executing in some key at-bats, and coming up with the big hits when we needed them."
The first game of the day couldn't have started any better for the Navy and Gold, as after Holsinger sat down the Beacons 1-2-3 in the top half of the first, junior center fielder Taylor Eilders (Cameron Park, Calif.) blasted the second pitch of the bottom half of the frame over the left field wall to give Corban the early advantage.
In the third, sophomore first baseman Raina Reece (Salem, Ore.) and junior third baseman Raimee Sluder (Longview, Wash.) ripped RBI hits for the Warriors, with Sluder's being an RBI double, putting Corban up 3-0.
In the fourth inning, senior designated hitter McCayla Hoffman (Bellevue, Wash.) made it 4-0 with a solo shot over the left field fence, giving the Warriors a comfortable advantage.
Holsinger was cruising at that point, and heading into the seventh inning, she had still not given up a hit. In the top half of the seventh, however, NCU's Paige Griffith hit a single through the hole on the left side, giving the Beacons their lone hit of the contest. She eventually came around to score in the inning, but that was all NCU would get, as Holsinger ultimately shut the door, earning the complete-game win.
While going the distance and surrendering just the one hit, Holsinger struck out nine while walking two batters. At the dish, Eilders led the way with a 2-for-3 performance as the Warriors out-hit the Beacons in the triumph, 8-1.
"Jess threw really well today," said Ohta. "It is really nice to have a pitching staff that is holding teams down. We have a lot of confidence that they're going to keep us in ballgames and give our offense a chance to put teams away."
After the game-one win, Holsinger talked about the victory:
In game two, NCU began the game well and actually took a 1-0 advantage when Parker Fritter hit a high home run to left field in the second frame. Corban answered in the bottom half of the inning when freshman right fielder Grace Utto-Galarneau (Lacey, Wash.) hit a line-drive homer to left field, sending the ball out in a hurry.
The Beacons loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth inning and scored three runs to retake the lead at 4-1, putting Corban in a spot where the bats really needed to wake up.
Right away in the bottom half of the fourth, the bats did just that, as the Warriors tallied a pair of hits and a pair of runs to cut the deficit to just one run. Then in the fifth frame, Rodriguez came up clutch for the Warriors at the plate.
With runners on at second and third, Rodriguez blasted a double all the way to the left field wall, scoring the tying and go-ahead runs for the Navy and Gold. Rodriguez eventually came in to score later in the inning on a sacrifice fly from Utto-Galarneau.
Corban added an insurance run in the sixth when Rodriguez hit an RBI single through the right side to make it a 7-4 advantage. Holsinger came on in the seventh for the Warriors to close the door, earning the save and the CCC-opening sweep for Corban.
Rodriguez finished game two 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI while Eilders and junior outfielder Maddy Melton (Salem, Ore.) both registered two hits apiece for Corban.
After the game two triumph, Rodriguez talked about the win:
Earning the win in relief was junior pitcher Allie Mendez (Stockton, Calif.), as she tossed three innings while allowing three hits and one run. For the Beacons, Breanne Johnson picked up the loss, throwing all six innings while giving up 11 hits and seven runs.
As a team, the Beacons (4-16, 0-2 CCC) totaled six hits in the game-two defeat.
Corban (16-7, 2-0 CCC) takes to the road for the remainder of the week when it travels north to take on Northwest University (Wash.) on Friday and the University of British Columbia (Canada) on Saturday. First pitch on Friday is set for 2 p.m., while Saturday is set to begin at 11 a.m.
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